The Senior Year
by Pipe Fox
Summary: Three-part romantic dramedy featuring TK, Kari and Davis, best friends, rulers of Highschool, slipping, sliding, dribbling, gliding, having fun, being teenagers and going completely nuts all in the last days of their senior year.
1. Part I

Senior Year

Disclaimer: I don't own digimon! 

This fic just kind of popped into my head this morning as I was browsing the Toei Animation fan art section (those people draw so well…::cries::) and a thought just up and was there. This story isn't really anything. It takes place during the senior year of the 02 digidestined. Which means that Yolei and Ken are in their first year of college, TK, Kari and Davis are seniors, and Cody is a sophomore. Now that that's cleared up, just read it!

The Senior Year

::bounce…bounce…:: 

"And here comes team captain Takeru Takaishi of the Odiaba High School Tigers dribbling the basketball up the court with speed!" Takeru Takaishi could feel his hair blowing out of the way of his face, his fingers touching the dusty basketball and the pound of tennis shoes against the gym court. Slightly behind him, Daisuke Motomiya ran, efficiently guarding him from the on coming players. Thoughts were strewn across his head; it was the championship game and the Tigers were behind two.

"Daisuke!" His deep teenage voice suddenly called out, still concentrating on the game. The slightly shorter maroon haired teenager sped up until he was at his side.

"Brick?" He breathed out gruffly as he struggled to keep up.

"Yeah…go for it!" The familiar adventurous smile of his flashed over his face as Dai sprinted to the middle of the half court and waved his arms.

Takeru made a dead stop and spun around quickly, surprising the pursuing point guard from Kawada high school as well as the rest of the pursuing team. In a flash (and a brief smile) he hurled the ball over to Daisuke and sprinted to the three point line. He himself had discovered a while back that his teammate and he were evenly matched; while he could run faster and shoot, Dai could jump higher and was more agile. 

The blonde made a squeaky stop at the semi-circle three point line, watching intently as Daisuke weaved his way in and out of the opposing Kawada Manta's and finally ducked in front.

All of the sudden a humungo guy stepped in front of him. They were just about the same height, he and Takeru, except Takeru was about the same width as this guy's big, blubbery arm. It must have taken him the whole forty seconds to move to the court. In any case, there was no way the ball could get to him.

"Dai, take it!" Daisuke looked up, a look of pure surprise riddled on his face. He could see Takeru waving frantically at him to make the shot, at least he could see his head. A huge mass of blubber was blocking everything else. But it was too late now…the ball was sailing right towards them. Kawada was practically cheering their heads off. He nearly collapsed in disappointment. 

The tall basketball captain saw the orange, black stripped ball falling to him; they'd never win, now. But he had to try anyway. Just as Takeru's hands were about to slip over the ball, the gigantic fat man made the mistake of jumping in effort to block him. The basketball bounced off of his big fat head and sailed towards the basket. The fans were silent. The players weren't moving. Takeru and Daisuke were practically frozen. 

And everyone heard it when the ball went through the hoop with a satisfying swish and the final buzzer went off. No one even breathed; all eyes were on Takeru and Daisuke and the fat guy who stood in etched silence. 

Hikari Yagami, milk chocolate eyes as wide as jumbo sushi rolls, watched as the basketball hit the floor with a smack followed by a few series of others, a grin the size of Texas appearing on her face. Her giddy hands started to shake the blue, pink and silver pom poms rapidly.

"YES!" From across the court, Takeru and Daisuke were grinning at one another like rabid…animal…things…  


"Yeah!"

"Woo hoo!" Takeru practically leaped-frogged over the fat-man's head to meet his best bud's high-five. The crowd was ballistic, the fellow cheerleaders were going nuts. The players where either ecstatic or just plain angry.

"He can't do that! It's a foul! This game belongs to Kawada, and you know it ref!" 

"I beg to differ." All eyes turned to the median-height sophomore Iori Hida. His lifted yet neat brown hair (think of a cross between little Iori, Izzy, the cute little green-haired friend of Rini's on Sailor Moon, I think his name is Kelly?, and first form Super Sayian Trunks, okay?) dropped slightly over his curvy green eyes as he offered a cool, somewhat cocky smile. 

"Who's this kid?" Hikari walked up behind him, giddy but very straightforward. 

"This 'kid' is the Odiaba Tiger's tactical manager." Iori-kun nodded in agreement. The referee gave him a discerning glance.

"In the Tokyo district rule book for High School basketball, males and females, it does not mention anything about the teams having to use their hands to score. If anything was committed, it was moving screen right before Takeru gained possession of the ball; the man o' blubber over there was completely blocking Takeru off like a moving wall of Berlin. The three had failed to notice how quiet the gymnasium had become as the ref flipped through the pages of the rule book. The fat man was seething…

"He's right. The game goes to Odiaba!" The crowd screamed their approval; Kawada started to slink away heads hung…not that anyone cared or anything.

The boys were being cheered and smacked in their own little circle of team members. Takeru was in the middle of giving Daisuke a nice big noogie in his maroon hair when the shrill screams of the tons of boy-crazy fans came running up. Instantly, the rest of the basketball team started running for their lives…

At the head of the pack was Sara Little, active member of the spirit club and president the 'I love Takeru/ Daisuke Fan Club'. Takeru still had Daisuke under arm and his large hands in his hair. Huge sweatdrops rolled down the back of the teen boys' heads.

"Like, OH my god! It's Takeru Takaishi and Daisuke Motomiya! Like, OH MY GOD! AHH!" The girls charged like wild bulls.

"We're…dead…" Takeru sighed sadly and released Dai from his head lock.

"I really liked this jersey…" He didn't fancy the thought of it being ripped to shreds. 

"Hey! Is that Yamato Ishida and Taichi Yagami over there?! You know, that hot guy from that hot band 'Wolves' and the star player of Tokyo's Soccer Team?!" 

"Oh…my…god… a professional athlete and a rock star?! AHHHH!!!" 

Up on the Bleachers…

Two screams of terror echoed throughout the gym as a huge stampede of teenage girls chased the running figures out of the double gym doors. 

Takeru's whole face seemed to smile as he saw Hikari standing behind him, profound smile etched on her features. 

"Thanks Hikari; we owe you one." Daisuke nodded in agreement. 

"No way; I'm just repaying you for the time you covered for me when Osaka's school mascot, the goat Melody, followed me home."

"You have a way with animals…" Dai said with a coy smile on his face, motioning to the bunch of cat-calling guys behind them. The brunette sent a pathetic look towards Takeru, who sighed; why was it he who always had to make a spectacle of himself. Not that he really minded doing Hikari-chan a favor or anything.

Turning towards the group of rather rude guys, he glared and made a slow, lingering slash at his throat. Instantly, the howling and rooting stopped. Being tall so did serve him well. Yes, it was tough ruling a high school like he did; sometimes the subjects just got a little rowdy. With a final glare, he turned back to Kari with a 'pretending to be mad' smile.

"You owe me." Daisuke shook his head with a smile at their little plans and plots. 

"You know…one of these days someone might get the idea that you guys are dating…" Hikari laughed, interlacing her fingers with Takeru's and relaxing her head on his shoulder. 

"Us? No way, Dai." 

"I dunno…you kinda look like a couple to me…" Takeru rolled his eyes as they walked towards the back gym exit.

"This coming from the one who had a crush on the infamous Hikari Yagami for approximately…" 

"Hey man, shut up!" Daisuke couldn't help but smile at the fond yet embarrassing memories.

"We're just messing around, Dais." Hikari said with a giggle.

"Yeah, cool it." The three all laughed and exited the gymnasium. 

Takeru and Hikari released their hands immediately after the door was closed and breathed deep. 

"So guys…shall we go to-" 

"I'm gonna teach you not to mess with me, kid!" The sound of punches and groans echoed over the quad where they had entered. 

"I've got a bad feeling about this…did that sound like Iori to anyone else?" Exchanging worried glances, they ran to the other side of the building. 

Iori struggled under the powerful grip of Vince Jauger, the fat man. With his fat hands under the second of his double shirt, there was no way he could slip away. 

*What I wouldn't give for a kendo stick right about now…* He thought as the sophomore tried to pull the barbarian's hand away from his clothing. With that failing, he threw a solid punch at the fat man's face. Roaring the rage he raised his first.

"Why you little-"

"Put him down!" Hikari Yagami screamed at the obnoxiously large teenager. Vince saw her distress and smiled, glaring at Iori.

"You better be lucky I don't like seeing girls cry." With that he threw him to the ground with a powerful throw; the boy scrapped all along the pavement and stopped finally in the middle of the court. Hikari shrieked and ran towards him, closely followed by Takeru and Daisuke. 

"Oh Iori-kun. Will you be okay?" He sat up; the arm that scrapped along the pavement was covered with blood.

"Despite this, he didn't lay a finger on me." Takeru looked down at his younger friend and frowned, removing his hat and taking his handkerchief from under it. Hikari took it and started to tie it around the long cut on the bottom of his arm. Then the blonde stood up, still frowning, and started towards the over-grown walrus (gee, just how many names COULD I call this guy?) Daisuke glanced up at him and started to run when the fallen friend stopped him.

"Dai…it's a lost cause." Iori pulled himself into a sitting position beside the older brunette.

"Takeru is a very gentle person…but…sometimes he can't control it." Daisuke frowned. His bud did look pretty scary. His eyes traveled to Hikari, who seemed equally worried.

"Takeru versus the Jaugernaut, round one." 

Vince Jauger gave a false fright face as Takeru stepped up to him with deadly serious eyes.

"Oh no! It's Takeru Takaishi come to save his little friend! Oh save me, save me!" Nothing. Takeru said nothing.

"So Takaishi, have you come to fight the great Jaugernaut?" 

"I'm not here to fight." The giants beady, blackish blue eyes narrowed.

"Let me guess, because fighting isn't the answer? Oh, so poetryic."

"Because I don't need to." The vicious teenager growled and took a slow but powerful swing at Takeru, knocking the other teenager over the head.

"Takeru!" Hikari and Daisuke yelled at the same time. 

The blonde merely stumbled slightly, then he straightened up and wiped the little trickle of blood on his mouth. Vince Jauger seethed and swung again, but this time he ducked, hands in his pockets as if it were nothing. After numerous swings and misses, the gigantic blob slacked slightly in his tight basketball jersey, tired out, while his blonde opponent still stood straight, neither a deep breath nor a sign of retreat showing. The blubber-man looked up, as if to swing again but simply double over, exhausted.

"Like I said, I don't need to." Takeru adjusted his hat and put his hands back in his pockets before starting away. Then, with a sarcastic smile, he turned back around.

"Oh, and it's poetic, not poetryic, moron." 

As soon as Takeru got back to his friends, the act dropped and he returned to normal, sighed and leaned on his knees.

"That was close…" Hikari flung her arms around his neck in a hug.

"You were awesome!" She cheered, releasing him from her hold and smiling brightly.

"Fat Man didn't stand a chance!" Iori piped up as he stood, Takeru's handkerchief wrapped around his arm as a temporary bandage. 

"Dude you have GOT to tell me how you did that. It would save me a who lot of trouble with this one guy…" Takeru yawned and checked his watch.

"Hey, we gotta get home. It's almost twelve. I told my mom I'd be home by then!" 

"Yikes! So did I!" Hikari exclaimed as they neared the point where their homes split in different directions. About three years back or so, Daisuke and the rest of the Motomiya's moved closer to where Iori lived and Miyako used to live (she's in college, remember?). Then a year later, Takeru and his mom moved close to where Daisuke and Hikari lived. In the morning, when they all walked to school together, Takeru and Hikari came and Iori and Daisuke came. 

"Goodbye, Daisuke." The lovely brunette gave Dai a hug.

"Goodbye Hikari." Then she turned towards Iori and gave him a hug. "Get well, Iori-kun." The youngest of the bunch nodded and also said goodbye.

"Ja ne, Takeru." Takeru and Daisuke (hugged…J/K) slapped hands. "You too, Dai. Sayonara, Iori." The blonde slapped hands with him too before they all started off in their separate directions.

Takeru and Hikari could see their separate apartment buildings in view. And soon enough, it was time to split. 

"Ja ne, Hikari. See you tomorrow at school." The teenage girl pulled him into a hug as custom for her, hug times were for first hello, last goodbye and any other time she saw fit. Takeru was one of the few who fell into the catergory of getting 'whenever she saw fit' hugs and she didn't mind in the least; it was usually him she hugged the most and the longest. Iori also fell in but he was too shy, and Daisuke also but he was a bit too bony for her liking. Takeru was just the right height, width and texture for her; he was always soft and warm. Tonight was no exception. 

After ten seconds, Hikari stood on her tip-toes and pecked his cheek before standing away. Takeru didn't blush; he'd outgrown that when he was around 15 or so, especially with Hikari.

"What was that for?" 

"For being so awesome." She answered with giddy flare and a gentle smile. He smiled back.

"Sayonara, Takeru." Quickly, he leaned down and brushed his lips against her cheek. Hikari closed her eyes, tilting her head to one side before the light caught in the brown irises and she smiled gently.

"Goodnight, Hikari." With a soft smile and a quick wave, he stuck his hands in his pockets again and started off towards home. As soon as he was out of sight, Hikari touched her cheek and sighed, smiled and shook her head.

As soon as Hikari was out of sight, he touched his cheek and smiled, then shook his head.

"Nah."

"Nah." 

The next morning, Hikari stood outside of her Apartment building waiting for Takeru like every other day.

"It's not like him to be late…"

:beep, beep: 

Her eyes glanced up in time to see a shiny green BMW convertible ride up towards her, two young men in the front. Hikari recognized them immediately.

"Ohayo, Yamato. Ohayo Takeru. Driving us to school today?" Kari asked as she hoped in the back seat. 

"What are big brother's for?" The older blonde asked as he drove out of the complex towards the normal meeting spot. The brunette rolled her eyes.

"Why ARE you doing a good deed today, anyway?" Takeru gave a slightly sour laugh. 

"Good deed my foot. He's making me pay 50 yen for this." Hikari smiled.

"Oh come on, 50 yen isn't that bad." Yamato cracked and evil smile while Takeru crossed his arms.

"Each." 

"Each?!" Hikari exclaimed. Takeru huffed.

"Plus him." The girl whacked Yamato in the head.

"What are big brother's for is right! Evil…" The musician laughed as they sped down the road.

Daisuke and Iori were extremely happy as they jumped in the backseat with Hikari.

"To what do we owe the pleasure, Takeru?" Takeru's sour mood had lifted and he was same old happy Takeru again.

"We've got to be the rush. The last time we walked to school after the championship game, you know, last year?" Hikari and Daisuke groaned.

"I didn't think we would ever get down from that stupid tree…" Dai exclaimed and shook his head.

"At least you guys have protection in groups. If I get mobbed (which you will, the older teens stated) I'll have no one to run behind since the Sophomore building is on the other side of school." 

"Poor Iori-kun." Her eyes drifted to the empty school yard with a sigh. "Wish us luck…" 

Yamato pulled up to the school, and Takeru paid him the 250 yen before everyone except Iori clambered out of the car.

"Good luck, Iori!" They waved to him as Yama-chan drove him to the other end of the school. The three took a deep breath before approaching the painted glass doors, concealing everything within.

"Okay Dai, open the door." Hikari whispered. Dai looked back at the two like they were nuts.

"Why do I have to open it?"

"Just do it!" With a sigh, he slowly reached for the door and took a little peek inside.

"There's nobody there…" Takeru and Hikari poked their heads out from behind the stone lion that was near the door. Wordless they also looked in and saw nobody and frowned.

"Does everyone have a jacket, pants and clothing you do not value very much on?" The three nodded together and, with a deep breath, opened the door to the seemingly empty high school. 

"Something is definitely…wrong here…" Hikari trailed off as she glanced this way and that. 

"Like, Oh…my…god!" All three of them spun around at the same time and saw Sarah Little and her disciples all with signs and banners and over loads of make up behind them. No one could move.

"It's like, Takeru Takaishi, Daisuke Motomiya and Hikari Yagami! Like, Oh…my…god!" Takeru gulped slowly. Was this a high school or a mad house?! 

"You guys…run…" They bolted. Girly screams echoed throughout the school as the 'I love Takeru and Daisuke' fan club ran in hot pursuit. 

Rounding the corner, the three were stopped dead by a great mob of basketball fans, cheering in hyper active voices and running towards them. Turning the other direction they saw tons of guys holding signs with phrases like 'Date me, Hikari!' and 'Will you be mine, Hikari?'. Now, being trapped in a three way split, the teenagers dodged into the ever-open biology lab and locked the door behind them. Outside, ravenous screams of raged high school students screamed bloody murder. 

After staring at the door for a few seconds, Takeru, Hikari and Daisuke collapsed in three of the lab chairs. 

"This is surreal…" The light-named girl trailed off as she laid her head on the black counter.

"At this rate you'd think I was already a famous soccer player…" Dai muttered as he leaned his head back, his spiky maroon hair barely inching from behind his sun-tinted goggles. 

"We'll just have to stay here until home room, I guess…" The eerily dark Freshman Biology room was cast with shadows because of the drawn curtains. The eyes of various dead creatures seemed to stare at them with their zombie faces…it made each of the seniors shudder. 

"Well…this isn't so…" Those dead eyes came face to face with Takeru. He gulped.

"I don't know about you guys…but I'm kind of opting for the raging crowd of fans…All in favor of ditching the bio-lab say I."

"I!"

"I!"

"I!" The jumped up faster than the speed of light and bolted out into the screaming wilderness…

"Actually, I don't think it was that bad…" Hikari stated as she walked out of the girl's bathroom, finally finished changing her nearly ripped to shreds clothing. At the same time, Takeru and Daisuke came out of the boy's restroom. Both of them were still a little dizzy from the stampede of raging animal teenagers in all their glory.

"You never know exactly how many people there are in the 'I love Takeru and Daisuke Fan Club' until their all touching you at the same time…" Daisuke uttered, rubbing the back of his neck to soothe the aches. Takeru nodded as he changed his torn, ragged hat to a fresh, dark green one.

"Come on, we have about thirty seconds to get to homeroom." None of the teenagers moved for a second, staring at each other with motion tugging at the corners of their mouths. 

WHOOSH!

Suddenly they were off towards Miss Kamikaze's room number 202.

Of course after they narrowly escaped detention and went to periods one through four, it was time for lunch, and the three rulers of Odiaba High School met in their usual spot.

"Come on! I really don't want to have to wait in line!" Hikari Yagami whined as she, Daisuke and Takeru skidded around the corner and towards the cafeteria.

"Since when have you had to wait in line?" Dai called up to her. The cafeteria doors opened and the mass of students along with it, all chatting and talking. Not to mention the line; the little sign that showed how long the normal line was said '1 hour wait' and lunch was only forty-five minutes. The three seniors exchanged glances.

"Okay Takeru. Do it." Takeru made a double take at Daisuke.

"No way! I did it last Friday!"

"So? It was my turn on Thursday!" Hikari gave a frustrated sigh and shoved the books she was carrying into Takeru's large hands.

"I'll do it, I guess." Brushing her hair back behind her ears and clutching her shoulder pack, the brunette started towards the head of the line where the cross-country team stood chatting. The boy's cross-country team, that is. Takeru and Daisuke followed silently in tow.

"-yeah, so and I told her-"

"Excuse me?" The boys looked over to see none other than goddess of high school Hikari Yagami standing in front of them, looking rather innocent and, if possible, hotter than usual.

"I'm kind of in a rush…would you let me cut in line, just this once?" She battered her long eyelashes, her mahogany brown eyes wide and angelic.

"Please?" The captain of the C-C team turned his head this way and that; he himself had a little crush on Miss Yagami, despite the fact that he had a girlfriend, who stood next to him at the moment, seething with jealousy.

"I…don't know. What do you think?" He asked his blond novia. The girl was about to make a dead reject when Takeru and Daisuke, hotties of the year in every year book since their Freshman year, popped up beside their brunette friend. 

"Please?" Instantly, the girl's heart melted into silly putty. Unknown to the C-C captain, she was one of the top members of the 'I Love Takeru and Daisuke Fan Club'.

"Sure. They can cut." 

"Thanks!" Hikari cheered as the Captain made way for her in front of him. He gave a dreamy sigh.

"Yeah, thanks!" Takeru and Daisuke stated cheerfully as they passed his girlfriend with a smile. She gave a dreamy sigh, as did the rest of the people in line. The teenagers quickly gathered their lunch and went to their exclusive lunch spot.

The Captain frowned and turned to his girlfriend, who frowned back.

"Who were you sighing at?" 

Hikari Yagami sipped her apple juice thoughtfully before pulling out her agenda, as did Takeru Takaishi and Daisuke Motomiya.

"You start, Dai." Takeru stated, pulling out a red pen for his professional looking forest green planner that his brunette best friend insisted he carry around. Dai nodded and scrolled the pages.

"Okay…today I have soccer after school until five…and afterwards I promised my mom I'd make dinner." Takeru and Hikari exchanged evil glances.

"Aww…" Daisuke crossed his arms, pouting.

"It's not funny." They all laughed afterwards, and Takeru told Hikari to tell her schedule.

"Chloe asked me to come to rehearsal today for Romeo and Juliet. I'll be there until about six or so, I guess. What about you, Takeru?"

"I'm completely free. I don't have to be home until about eight or nine; my mom's working late tonight." The tall, blonde gave a relaxed sigh.

"How about we all go and get smoothies at seven-thirty?" Takeru suggested as he slapped his agenda closed and dropped it into his pack.

"I'm in." Stated Dai as he mirrored his blond best friends actions. Hikari smiled and placed her pink and yellow binder back into her shoulder backpack.

"Sounds good to me."

The red-haired messenger of the Yearbook committee buzzed by their table with a rushed expression, his bean-pole shaped body nearly flying past the 'holy' table in the corner of the open cafeteria.

"Hey Tom." All the senior high schoolers stated without a second thought; Tom thought he might faint because they knew his name.

"Hi…Takeru…Hikari…Daisuke. Here are your wins and nominations for Yearbook this year. Photos have to be taken or handed on by…W-Wednesday. Okay?" Daisuke eagerly opened his envelope. 

"Thanks. Hey, I saw you playing basketball the other day. You have some nice lay-ups, you know. You should have tried out for the team this year; bet you could have made varsity with training. " Takeru stated in his naturally cheerful voice that hadn't left him since he was about eight. The bumbling junior's wide eyes went wider.

"Really?"

"Yeah. You're not bad. Awesome even, with practice." Tom's lip trembled, his eyes started to fog up. 

The fact that a senior in high school, one of the three most popular even, who was known for his honesty and gentleness, had giving him a complement about his unknown basketball skills was bring tears to his eyes. 

"Thanks." He mumbled, rubbing the edge of his thick black glasses. He was just about to walk away when Hikari stopped him.

"Don't worry Tom, I'll put in a good word for you to Rika Hiroki for you." She whispered with a wink. And while Tom had no idea how the heck she knew that he had meant to ask her that, or how someone just a year older could inspire him so much, he smiled and nodded and ran off to deliver more papers. 

None of them thought nothing of the good deed they'd done and quickly unfolded the colored paper, revealing long lists of names and such.

"So Hikari, how many did you get?" Dai asked and set his paper onto the metal table.

"You go first. I want to go last." Shrugging, the maroon haired teen went down the list.

"Okay…I was nominated for…fourteen and got ten out of the forty."

"Seventeen and fifteen." Takeru stated proudly and put the paper on the desk.

"Yeah! I beat you both. Read it and weep, nineteen, fifteen." Both Takeru and Daisuke groaned.

"Man, you ALWAYS beat us!" Dai whined before he lifted his paper to fold it. Hikari started to read off her wins.

"Okay I got in the cheerleading squad picture, the track picture, the girl's tennis and volleyball picture…"

"Just skip that and go to the 'most' section." Dai said impatiently.

"Okay…most popular…"

"Got it." Takeru and Daisuke stated simataniouslly and crossed it off.

"Most artistic…most creative…most likely to succeed and most intelligent." Seeing no reaction from the boys, she continued.

"Most chic…most fashionable…most photogenic…blah…blah…blah…WHAT?!" She jumped up, causing both of the guys to jump up also.

"What is it?" Takeru asked, slightly concerned.

"Look at your 'most' list, right at the bottom." She stated, sitting more in shock than surprise as she sat back in her seat. Takeru scrolled down the list until it hit him like a sack of potatoes.

"What the? Cutest couple? With Hikari?!" They both stared at the other for a while, until the gaze slowly transferred to overly-innocent looking Daisuke.

"Dai…" 

"Okay…I did it! BUT, it was through serious pressure and major consulting with the rest of the student body." Hikari rolled her eyes.

"Please…"

"Prove it." Dai shrugged and grabbed their hands.

"Okay…" He stood up on the table.

"Hey Tigers!" His arresting voice had the mess hall silent in seconds. The maroon haired teenager sent an evil look towards his two best friends, who were desperately telling him that they didn't need proof. But of course, he wouldn't let an opportunity like this escape his grasp.

"I need you to be completely honest here. Forget your bias and think about what I have to say for a second. I've got a couple of disbeliveers here, who think that Takeru Takaishi," He pulled Takeru up on the table with him,

"And Hikari Yagami," Hikari was also vaulted onto the top of the metal table.

"Wouldn't make the hottest couple this side of Tokyo. If you disagree with these disbeliveers, please scream bloody murder." 

The cafeteria was etched in silence, as Daisuke expected with a confident smirk. Hikari and Takeru were oblivious to this and snorted proudly.

"See Dai, I told you." Said the blonde as yanked his arm out of his grasp. His best friend held up his finger.

"Just wait a sec, Takeru." Clearing his voice he continued.

"Thank you to those who expressed their feelings. But I have made a terrible mistake. If you believe that Takeru Takaishi and Hikari Yagami would make the hottest couple this side of the Northern Hemisphere, please scream bloody murder." 

It was here that the crowd erupted like Mount Fuji a billion or so years ago; like a sonic boom that destroyed the dinosaurs or the great San Francisco Quake. It seemed that the rumble and roar of the cafeteria wouldn't die down until Dai told them to. Takeru even thought he saw Miss Kamikaze shouting, laughter on her face. The two best friends exchanged glances.

Finally, with easy hand motions, Dai eased the crowd down.

"Thank you for expressing your opinion on this lunch time poll. Have a nice day!" Once more the crowd cheered, not so loudly though, and the teenager jumped down off of the table. 

"Well, what did I tell you…Takeru? Hikari?" They were nowhere to be seen.

"That was so embarrassing…" The brunette stated as she leaned against one of their favorite trees with a sigh, letting the flushed color drain.

"Tell me about it…" They were seated near the same spot; Hikari was sitting on a branch and Takeru was resting on the ground. Their escape had been relatively quick and they'd made it there without hassle.

Thoughtfully, she glanced down at Takeru's fair face and sighed.

"You know, it wouldn't be that different whether we were going out or not." His eyes trailed up and stared into hers from below.

"What do you mean?" As she edged out of the tree, she tripped and would have fallen had he not immediately caught her elbows. Takeru released her when he was sure she was steady.

"I mean stuff like that. You're so protective of me." He shrugged and leaned back on the tree, arm rested on the branch where she had previously been sitting.

"Do you want me to not be like that?" He asked curiously. She blushed slightly and shook her head.

"No, I was just…saying…"

"So…," A smile played on his face as he leaned even more on the tree. Even so, they were remarkably close. "Are you telling me that you want me to ask you out?" Hikari smirked and gentle nudged his shoulder, crossing her arms with a smile, barely feeling the goosebumps running up her arms at the feel of his breath on her cheek.

"Are you telling me that you would if I told you yes?" He couldn't help but lean a little closer, the image of her kiss last night starting to ring in the back of his mind.

"Are you telling me yes?" His voice, still coy, dropped to a medium whisper.

"Am I?" She whispered, her eyes starting to close as she could feel him coming closer…closer… 

The passing bell rang for lunch to end. They backed away from each other, somewhat hyper, somewhat giddy, somewhat scared and excited at one time. Wordlessly they grabbed their backpacks.

"I'll…see you after school, okay…Hikari?" She nodded absently and waved before running down the green slope, feeling his eyes following her, or maybe it was just her imagination. He almost kissed me, she thought. But as she retreated to English, she couldn't tell whether she was confused, surprised, or maybe…just maybe…disappointed.

Finally, the last period bell rang, and Takeru escaped Advanced Trigonometry. His mind was clear and no thoughts in particular stuck out; even the event with Hikari just a little over an hour before had been lost somewhere between superscripts and polynomials. 

"Takeru!" Hikari called from behind him. He supposed she'd forgotten just as well as she did, because the look on her face reflected her calm aura.

"Sate, Hikari. What's up?" She smiled brightly, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"Since your not doing anything, I thought you might be bored. Do you want to come with me to see the Romeo and Juliet play? We can go and meet Dai at the smoothie shop afterwards." Feeling no awkwardness in the slightest he shrugged.

"Sounds good. Just let me stop at my locker." 

The teens ran to Takeru's locker quickly, gathered his stuff and went to the Indoor Theater, where, as soon as they were inside, they were tackled by Chloe, the director.

"Hikari! Takeru! I'm so glad you're BOTH here!" At the exaggeration of the word 'both', the two senior's exchanged nervous glances.

"You see, we have a major crisis! The play is opening in two days and Romeo and Juliet can't get the ending scene right!" To further her point, she pointed (no pun intended) to the stage, where Romeo, Juliet, Paris and the Friar where in the midst of a bloody argument. 

"You played Romeo and Juliet last year! Can you please help me talk some since into them?!" At the fervent look on Chloe's face, how could they possibly say no? 

"I'm totally confused on how Juliet wakes up. Is it…OH! Comfortable friar? Where IS my lord!" The brunette playing Juliet asked, completely lost. Hikari shook her head.

"Not quite. She just woke up from a long sleep. She should have a softer voice and kind of smile softly, and stretch too, because she's expecting to live happily ever after with Romeo." The girl gave a confused stare.

"That would mean…?" Hikari sighed. 

"I mean, it's more like 'O comfortable friar! Where is my lord?" Mieko smiled and nodded.

"Wow! Your good at that!" 

"So, you're saying that I should be…sad, because Juliet is dead?" The sturdy blonde junior classman who was playing Romeo, named Satoshi, asked with a perplexed expression. Takeru stared for a moment, and nodded. Satoshi threw down his papers and ran his hand through his hair.

"I just don't get it! Why WOULD Romeo be all depressed because Juliet got him into so much trouble?!" Chloe stood up from her director's chair in the audience and sighed, before a smile lit her face like a candle.

"I've got a great idea! Why don't you two SHOW just the ending scene! It's a whole lot easier than trying to explain it!" Takeru and Hikari exchanged nervous glances.

"Well I-"

"You still remember all your lines, right?" Mieko asked. The two teenagers nodded.

"And you could probably still fit into your old costumes, right?" Again, they could only nod.

"And of course, you wouldn't mind doing it for the well-being of our play, right?" Chloe asked with big, puppy-dog eyes. But before the two seniors could have any reaction whatsoever, Mieko and Satoshi dragged them off into the dressing room. 

He stood near her now, staring into her blank, pale face with heart-wretched eyes. In his hands, the vile containing that dark, liquid stirred. Quickly, he tore off the cork and held it to his mouth.

"Here's to my love!" As soon as the elixir was down his throat he started to gag; cough medicine. He regained his composure though and leaned back onto the wooden crypt where she lay and gazed.

"O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick…" For the record, he gently brushed her mahogany tresses out of her face. He was worried slightly. The year before, he hadn't felt a thing when he kissed her or when she kissed him. But with the current events…he wasn't entirely sure he would feel the same.

"Thus with a kiss…" Swiftly he bend down and touched his lips with the corner of her mouth; barely brushed against them, not even qualifying as a peck and staggered to the cold stone steps. 

"Thus with a kiss...I die…" 

Just moments later, after the conversation between Balthazar and Friar Laurence, she stretched her arms and sat up, oblivious to the friar's sympathetic gaze.

"O comfortable friar! Where is my lord?" Her lively smile contrasted with the dark walls.

"I do remember well where I should be, and there I am. Where is my Romeo?" The friar would not meet her gaze. A noise echoed from outside the tomb.

"Thy husband…he lies there, at your feet. And Paris too." Her back stiffened, her breath grew short and she refused to believe it, but only for a moment. The dread of expectation and fear hovered; now she could feel the Death in the air.

"Come, I'll dispose of thee, among my holy sisterhood of nuns. Stay not here to question; the watch is coming. Come, go, good Juliet." Again, the noise echoed throughout the halls. Nervously, he looked back at her stricken face.

"I dare no longer stay." Without looking over at him, wordlessly, she edged off of the crypt and stared sullenly at the pale face of her Romeo. Gentle and sweet, no longer troubled with his woe. Still, never breaking her gaze, never turning her back, she spoke.

"Go…" She whispered. "Get thee hence, for I will not away." Sympathetically, he nodded and swiftly carried himself out.

Her thin fingers traced along his arms and face until she came upon the glass bottle, enfolded in his hands.

"What's here? A cup? Closed in my true love's hand? Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end." She quickly stole the bottle and put it to her lips, but tasted none.

"Oh churl! Drunk all! And left no friendly drop to help me after. I will kiss thy lips; haply some poison yet doth hang on them to make die with restorative." She bent her head and touched her lips with his, pressing just lightly before pulling away, a wistful smile impressed there.

"Thy lips are warm." She whispered, eyes closed. 

"Which way?" She heard the head watchmen ask. She now knew what must come next. 

"Yea noise? Then I'll be brief. O happy dagger!" She pulled his blade from his belt with a possessed smile. 

"This is thy sheath…" She drew in a sharp breath and jammed it into her fair stomach, light brown eyes going wide, the glittering irises small, before she began to dizzy. Her blood dripped onto her hands, and her breathing grew short and deep.

"There rust…" She settled her body against her lover's own, removing the bloody dagger from her stomach that fell to the stone with a sharp clang. "And…let me…die…" With loving eyes she looked at his beautiful, pale face, his golden hair among his eyes. She tenderly brushed them away. With her last breath, she whispered, sweetly, serenely.

"Farewell, sweet…Ro…" The shadow of a smile appeared just slightly as her eyes fluttered close; the breath escaped her lips first, her bodice ceased to rise and fall, her dark form grew still, and Death finally carried her away, to be reunited with her love. Not here in life, but beyond, after…forever after.

They had tears in their eyes, all of them, as they saw the curtain drop from the plushy red chairs in the audience. Surprisingly enough, the surly blonde football player was crying the hardest and while Paris and Balthazar consoled him, Chloe blew her nose on her handkerchief rather loudly with a small cry. Juliet was also crying softly. 

"CUT! That was…beautiful…with the music and the words and the…OH! It was classic! I don't think we'll be having ANY trouble from now on." Satoshi had stopped crying by then and nodded along with Mieko. The crimson curtains raised but, to everyone's surprise, the stage was empty. 

Takeru had just been pulling on his green shirt over his khaki cargo pants when Hikari peeked into the door. He swiveled around, shirt half on and blinked, blue eyes wide. 

"Hi." Hikari giggled and turned away, hands resting behind her back. 

"It's not polite to be bare chested in front of a lady." He smirked, pulling the stripped polo over his muscular chest (he's an athlete. He's supposed to have a muscular chest!).

"What lady?" She whirled around, the 'pretending to be mad' smile playing on her face.

"Oh, you're gonna get it now!" He laughed and ducked under her flying grasp, dodging with lightning speed out of the backstage door and down the sidewalk towards Odiaba Park, Hikari hot on his tail. Chloe and Satoshi and Mieko stood outside the door, broad smiles on their faces.

"They are going to make one heck of a couple someday." Chloe stated, her voice dreamy. Satoshi nodded along with Mieko.

"Yeah…I think I want a burger." Satoshi stated, still keeping the same face. Mieko and Chloe exchanged glances, sighed, and walked off, leaving Satoshi to stare off into the great…burger…beyond…

Hikari laughed wildly as she vaulted herself up on Takeru's back, arms clasped tightly around his neck; he instinctively grabbed her legs as if going for a piggy back ride. Her face was close to the side of his, their breathing hard and lengthened, but the simmer of giggles between them still sounded through the air.

"Piggyback?" Takeru asked, innocently enough and continued through the park which they were currently crossing through without having her consent, knowing her answer like knowing the time. He carried her on his back for a while, in silence, before letting her off and collapsing on a park bench. The brunette fell with him onto the sturdy seat, leaning on his shoulder without a second thought, traces of laughter still in her voice. Her breath was still heavy; her eyes looked towards his face and he looked back, shaking in quiet laughter along with her. 

But the laughter faded suddenly when Hikari stopped giggling, eyes gleaming, and quickly turned and kissed him, right on the lips, as if an everyday thing, as if they were dating. He turned silent too, not really sure what to think but not to severely shocked either, not shocked enough to blush anyway. She scrunched up her nose and scrutinized her eyes, licking her lips with a sour face.

"You taste like cough medicine." He gave a sudden burst of laughter and leaned down, kissed her lips and drew back with the same face she wore. 

"So do you." There was silence for a moment after the breath interlude of laughter, and Takeru, feeling very uncomfortable all of the sudden, reached over and tickled the sides of her stomach. Kari let out a wild shriek and jumped up.

"Stop! HAHA!" But of course he didn't relent, letting his fingers dance on her sides until her face was red. She threw her arms around his neck again, resting her head against his chest, shaking with laughter.

"Okay…okay…stop…please…Takeru…" The blonde smiled and let his arms wrap gently around her waist and rested his head on top of hers. Hikari let her giggles fade and smiled softly, mischievously, but failed to move away from his grasp.

"And you're just…hugging me…because?" She nearly laughed from imagining the perplexed look on his face. 

"Can't I hug my friend?" He asked gently. Takeru could feel her arms around his neck tighten, but she didn't respond. Then, a soft, content sigh escaped her lips and she nuzzled her head against his chest. It was like a spell; the spell of time most likely, entrancing him with fancy thoughts of 'what if' and 'someday'. He let his head drop onto the top of her own, closed his eyes with a faint smile. And for the moment, that singular moment in time, they were boyfriend and girlfriend; like they always had been since they were born. He was made for her; she was made for him, and they were planning on spending the rest of their lives together. It was heaven; he had the world folded into his pocket.

His smile faded when she just slightly stepped away, brown eyes glittering, innocent smile etched along her face with wispy façade. He looked adorably confused, those wide angel blue eyes clear as a summer sky behind strewn curtains of spun gold; the little child he'd always been since their first visit to the Digital World.

"You can hug me whenever you like, Takeru." Hikari's cheeks were flushed with color, eyes still glassy, face smeared with affection as he nodded to her. She clasped his hands shortly, turning her head cutely to one side and then the other.

"Come on. We're gonna be late to meet Dai." Her slender hands pulled his along for a while before she eventually let go; the spell broke, and the event was shoved behind old files in their brains, like it never happened. He slipped his arm around her shoulder with a casual expression, the usual cheerful smile replacing his innocent face. Their eyes met, he scrunched up his nose, she scrunched up her nose. And all of the sudden, she stepped away from him, walking backwards.

"Hey TK."  
"Yeah?" 

"Catch me if you can!" She giggled and ran away. And of course, he ran after her.

End of Part One

This is only gonna be a two part story because it would have been to long for just one story. The next part should be out…soon, I guess, but since I'm sorta grounded (yeah…again…) the results are mixed. ANYWAY, I hope you enjoyed this part. I'm hoping for over fifteen review before I actually post the story though. Please, if you want the ending be a friend! ANYWAY, comments? Flames? Toothpicks? Send um' all to me at [artetiegr@hotmail.com][1] or just review my story! Thanks!

Artemis 

   [1]: mailto:artetiegr@hotmail.com



	2. Part II

Disclaimer: I don't own digimon!

Second part.  Yes, finally.  It took me, what, six months?  But I've finally gotten it out, and am prepared to see how many people actually don't care…hmm…this might leave you saying 'A plot?  I don't remember a plot in this story!  What's going on!  Who's this girl?  WHERE AM I?!  AHHHHH!' but don't worry, I'm sure by the middle you'll come to see that it's not severely complicated.  ::cough:: Anyway, read on!

The Senior Year

            Daisuke Motomiya slurped down his slushy green smoothie in silence while the two other teenagers discussed the last coming events for the last week of High School.  He'd become accustom to the stares of the customers around him; what was so wrong about a strawberry banana avocado chocolate blend anyway? 

            "Like I was saying before, the prom is going to be HOT this year!"  Hikari squealed excitedly, swirling her smoothie around in the clear plastic cup.  Takeru rolled his eyes drolly. 

            "Hmm…could it be because SOMEONE we all know and love will be singing that night?"  Poor Take-kun choked on his mocha latte frapachino (fancy college Starbucks talk for chocolate milk with ice and coffee.  P.S. I don't own Starbucks either.) when she whacked the back of his head.

Hard.

            "For your information Takeru, the prom is going to be wicked because of where the committee planned it; the La La Port Ski Slope."  

            "Really?  That's awesome!"  The blonde senior student exclaimed brightly, his eyes sparkled with his smile.  Hikari grinned back.

            "But I thought you said it was going to be HOT..." Daisuke muttered, when his eyes caught sight of a figure at the door.

            "I know!  They're renting a section of the place out, snowdrift included!  It'll be just like the theme; 'Snowflake Kisses'.  Isn't that great?"  
            "Yeah!"  said Takeru.  Hikari smiled at him momentarily before turning towards Daisuke with equal excitement.  

            "Isn't it Dai?  Dai?"  Daisuke had just passed Orion's belt and was zooming out towards Sirius the dog star.    
  


            Takeru waved his hand in front of Daisuke's face.

            "Hello?  Dai?  Daisuke?  Dai-kun?  Hoop-mister?  Goggle boy?  Dead-head?  Mr. Motomiya?  Daisuke Motomiya? Calling Dai.  Earth to Dai!"  Hikari quickly nudged his arm, calling his attention towards…whatever Dai's attention was at.  When he caught sight of it, his jaw literally hit the floor.

Hard.

            A curvaceous blonde haired, blue eyed teenager about Takeru's age, a little taller than Hikari though.  Her hair, though long, was curly; in place of the headband Takeru could still remember her wearing when they'd first met were a stylish pair of American movie-star sunglasses.  In place of the conservative dress was a…not so conservative dress; basically, it was loose (and low cut), flowing mainly around her thighs with no sleeves and a very light, sheer over-shirt on top.  It seemed as though both would come slipping off any second.  The pure maroon color of it contrasted with her light, perfect skin, and of course matched perfectly to her high, click heels.  

            The whole place had their eyes on her as she marched right over to where the popular trio was sitting, needless to say, everyone saw it when she stopped in front of Takeru with model stance.

            Shocked, the blonde stood to meet her; he was still about a head taller.

            "Takeru."  She purred out, the slight French accent clouding her Japanese.  Takeru blinked once…twice…and his worse conformations were confirmed.  Still he stuttered.

            "C-catherine?"  Then, in one fluid (obviously practiced) motion, she coiled her arms (tentacles, thought Hikari) around poor Takeru-kun's neck and in an instant they were lip-locked.  The restaurant stared with wide eyes at the sudden movement; Catherine was obviously putting something into that kiss but it was easy to see that Takeru was as stiff as a board, his pale blue eyes wide open and his lightly tanned face so pale that it looked like he'd been splashed with white paint.  

After five seconds or so, she took one hand and pushed him backwards (Takeru himself was far too shocked to move); the blonde flopped back in the booth were he was sitting while she leaned on the table, her face close and in front of his.  If Takeru had been anything but a gentleman he would have looked right down her shirt.  

            "That is how we say 'hello' in France, now a days."  With a spin of her heels she turned, gracefully, and sat down next to Daisuke, leaned her elbows on the table, grabbed his drink, took a sip (and actually didn't wince), closed her eyes, opened them, and smiled.

            "So.  What's new?" 

Hikari felt blind with this unknown emotion; something she'd never experienced before, or at least she could never remember feeling.  She took her pineapple orange strawberry smoothie in her hand and 'accidentally' knocked it over, right onto herself and Takeru.  

            "Excuse us."  She slipped past him, pulling his lanky arm along with her, and dragged him into the Girls' Restroom.  Catherine stared for a moment at the flapping door, before turning towards a VERY speechless Daisuke with a flirtatious smile.

            "Hi."

            Hikari went straight towards the sink and grabbed a paper towel, wiping off her khaki capris.  Takeru tried to brush off his shirt.  Turning off the sink with a smile, trying to hide this new feeling, she stared at him.

            "You've met?"

            "Yeah…we…uh, her name is Catherine." 

"I noticed."  There was silence, except for the running sink water now that Takeru was wiping off his shirt.  The brunette leaned back onto the cool tile walls, crossing her arms.  "I don't like her."

            "I noticed."  She glared at him momentarily, before continuing.

            "I haven't seen anything THAT…that-"

            "Slutty?"

            "Thank you.  Slutty since that one chic from Grease."

            "Grease?"

            "Remember that night we stayed up all night trying to memorize that dance steps for the Fifties Day dance?"

            "As campaign publicity?"

            "Yeah."  He turned off the sink and dried his hands, pushing one through his short, blonde hair.

            "Was that the year that you were president and Dai was vice...or maybe Dai was president and I was vice...no, that was last year..."

            "I think it was the year that YOU were president and I was vice."  Hikari stated, shortly forgetting about that strange French girl outside the door.  "Freshman year, right?"

            "Mm hmm."  

            "I think it worked."  He said with a slight smile, remembering back when he was but a prince in the shadow of his brother's rule of high school as a Senior before leaving for college.  Those were the days…

            "Hey Kari."  She looked up from the tiled floor and onto the hand on her shoulder.  "I hope that you're not…jealous…because me and Catherine…we're not good friends or anything."  

            "Seriously?"

            "No...er, yeah I'm serious about us not really being friends but I meant...you know what I mean..."  

Hikari flushed red with color before it quickly faded and brushed his hand off.

            "Well…I'm not jealous."  She stated, modestly, with a small grin.  "I was just…let's just say I was shocked."   

            "Right.  Shocked."  Silence was engulfed in the bathroom again before she started out, looking back towards her best friend with beckoning eyes.  He smiled that genuine smile of his and, with an innocent color in his eyes, did the hand jive.  

            The brown-haired girl had a little trouble trying to open the door; upon stepping out she realized that eight or nine people had been pressed against the postern trying to listen in.  Casting them all strange looks, she and Takeru returned to the table and sat down where Catherine and Daisuke were engulfed in conversation.  Well, more like…Catherine was engulfed in conversation and Daisuke was engulfed in thoughts about what their kids would look like -.-'''.

            "And then I told him 'No, no Mr. Tinkles!  That's for the little birds!' Isn't that just hilarious?"  Daisuke sighed.  

            "Yeah…beautiful…"  Both Takeru and Hikari raised their eyebrows but shook their heads.  The blonde French girl took no notice of this, yawned, stood and leisurely stretched her perfect body.

            "Well, it's been lovely reminiscing with you all (reminiscing what?  Hikari thought sourly) but I really must be off to my Five-Star (is that French for 'roach', Hikari thought again) hotel in Tokyo.  Perhaps I shall see around.  It is a small world after all."  Her blue eyes flickered across Dai-kun's lost face.  "D'adieu, Daisuke."  

            "Yeah…beautiful…"

            She leaned on the table towards Takeru again, fluttering her eyelashes and pursing her cherry red lips.

            "And…you too, Takeru."  Kissing her fingertips gently, she pushed it towards his mouth and smiled, before strolling out in the same slow motion, hip-swinging, fog and glitter as her entrance, the doors shifting close like a drawbridge guarded castle after the exit of the royal family.  

Hikari mulled over what was left of her smoothie silently.  Daisuke was still lost.  Takeru glanced between their faces worriedly.

"Well, I have to go."  The female of the group stated, sliding right past Takeru and tossing her empty cup.  Takeru stood up after her and tossed his drink.

"It's only seven-thirty."

"I forgot; my mom wants me to wash the dishes tonight."     

"I'll walk you home."

"I need to stop at the store, too."

"I'll go with you."

"To buy some pads."

She took off for the door.  Takeru didn't wait two seconds before he took off after her; in two gigantic strides he was skidded to a stop and was right behind her.  She blushed just slightly when his fingertips brushed along the side of her bare arm.

"Kari I-"  She turned, her dark eyes flickered; she wasn't hearing him.  He stopped mid-sentence, confused.  He looked so much like the old Takeru, the little eight-year-old boy when his brother left the team.  She looked so different, neutral but poutty but obviously upset.  He didn't know how to change it.  He didn't change it.  With that glance she threw open the door and left, the bell ringing signaling her exit.  

The blonde boy stared at the door for a moment before slowly walking back, not sure what he was feeling, not sure what exactly happened but three seconds ago, sneakers squeaking slightly on the tile.  The entire shop was still.  People were staring.  He glanced at them.  They turned away.  He stood over the table where Daisuke was still in the dream land, and banged on it three quick times.

"Later, Dai."

"yeah...beautiful..."  Takeru sweatdropped.

            Her fingers curled around the doorknob as she stepped into the dark room, flipping on the black-light overhead.  She emptied her film role and let her hands work, like second nature, to an invisible clock.  Tai's old room still smelt like him faintly; it made her relax each time she came in.  

            Soon, pictures were hanging to dry while she examined each of them.  A few for the Yearbook as a personal courtesy, one of Rika for Tom; the usual, she thought blandly, going over a few more while she washed her hands.  Her eyes fell upon the sneak shot she gotten of Takeru while he redressed himself in the dressing room.  What bewitched her to take that she'd never know; he did look fairly attractive shirtless.  

            But for the moment...

            "Hmph...this would fetch a nice price on the black market."  She muttered to herself and deposited the picture directly into the trashcan.  No need to have unnecessary pictures around the house.   She glanced over the others and finding nothing overly interesting she took them down, labeled and filed them, shoved them away and turned off the black light.  

::ring::  ::ring::  It's probably him, she thought.

::ring:: ::ring::  I'm not going to answer it.

::ring:: "Moshi-moshi you have reached Hikari Yagami.  I'm not in at the moment so please leave a short message and I'll get back to you!  Arigato!  Byee!  ...okay that was a little stupid...haha..."

::beep::

"Hikari, I know you're home, please pick up the phone."  

She glanced at the phone with a measured amount of nonchalance before returning to changing her night clothes.

            "Kari...come on, please pick up.  Your darkroom light was on, I could see it.  Please, I just want to talk really quick."  

Resist...resist...she shut her eyes tightly and told herself.

            "Then...I guess you really aren't home then...must have been a plane or something...I'll talk to you later then...by-"

            "Takeru!  Takeru, are you still there?"  She cursed herself for her lack of self-control silently while she listened.  Nothing.  He'd already hung up.  She slammed it back down, upset for an unknown reason, probably at Takeru for not talking longer, she thought.  More than likely herself for not picking up sooner.  In any case, her bed was calling and she could not refuse.  Her parents had probably gone to play bridge or poker downstairs with that American couple who just moved in, the Philips.  The room was dark; she pulled the covers over her head and sighed.

            *What's wrong with me...?*

            It was around 4:00 am the next morning, a Tuesday, when Takeru woke up.  The room was cold. Correction: It was freezing.  He crawled out of bed and looked outside.  His balcony was open.  His lungs seemed to be full of icicles.  He scratched his wrinkled flannel pajamas and stretched slightly, yawning, unsticking his white tee-shirt from his body before crawling into bed, next to the girl again, and closing his eyes.

Girl?  What girl?  
  


            He rolled over.  Hikari was sitting up on his bed fully dressed, staring at him.  Her arms were folded around her knees and her legs were stretched out over his covers; she smiled at him.

            "Morning."  He blinked.  He sat up and brushed a hand through his hair, letting his arms flop down as he stared at her with those big blue eyes.

            "Morning."  He yawned lazily and lopped onto her shoulder.  She promptly pushed him off.

            "Oh no.  Get up.  We still have to get Daisuke."  A puppy-like whine and he was out of bed, heading towards his closet.

            "You know," he said, pulling out various shirts, "if my mom came in here about five seconds ago, she would have freaked."  The girl shrugged, throwing her hair over one shoulder with a quick push of her hand.

            "Sure.  But she didn't.  Besides, she doesn't get up until after you leave for school."  There was a moment of silence, then "The blue one.  It'll match your eyes."  

            It wouldn't have been such a strange occurrence had Takeru not been a milla-second away from asking her that same question.  She grinned, pink-patches clustering on her cheeks.

            "Just a funny feeling."

            "You and your funny feelings..."

            "Hehe..."  
  


::snooze::

            "Dai…"

::snore::

  
            "Dai...Dai wake up."  She slapped his cheeks.  His brown eyes fluttered slightly.

            "Is that you, Grandma?"

            "GRANDMA?!  WHY I OUTTA-"  Takeru eased her furious rants and shushed her.

            "Let me handle this.  You know.  Man to man."  Hikari seethed but she nodded and stepped back.  Takeru crouched down and whispered something into Daisuke's ear.  And instantly, the maroon-haired teenager flew out of bed and dove to the nearest window, pressing his face up against the glass and letting the steam rise.  The brunette girl seemed impressed.

            "Wow, that was fast.  What did you tell him?"  

            "That Carmen Electra was running around in the sprinklers."  Hikari blinked.  She whacked Takeru's shoulder.

            "Alright...let's go...come on..."  Daisuke mumbled and fumbled for the balcony door knob, fighting it open and with his eyes half closed felt around for the tree he used to scale down.  Not finding it (and not knowing he had been reaching into the closet), he gave a lazy yawn and before heading in the other direction.

            "Come on...let's go out the front door."  He walked past them.  Hikari held up a shirt.  Takeru held up a pair of shorts.  Daisuke scratched his bare legs.

            "Is it cold in here or is it just me?"  The girl pointed to his scantly clad form; nothing but boxers, baby.  (that one's for you, Molly! ^-~)

            "Hearts?"  Her feminine voice asked with a giggle she couldn't keep down.

            "I'm a loveable guy."  

He muttered something about Carmen Electra and pancakes, pulled the clothing out of their hands, dragging himself into the shower.  Takeru sighed.

            "Every year for the past four years.  Next time we're coming to your house."

            "You...you can't..."   She trailed off, turning a faint hint of pink.

            "And why not?  Are your night clothes that goofy?"  She blushed further and turned away.  Takeru suddenly got the idea and looked down.

            "Alright, alright.  Let's go while I'm still beautiful..."  Still the maroon-haired teenager muttered and walked towards the front door.  His shirt was on backwards.  Hikari was still blushing as she walked towards the door. 

            "Hikari you don't really...sleep...with no...clothes, do you?"  She innocently grinned, but the blush in her cheeks never faded.  Takeru gulped.

            "Smile!"  

Hikari snapped the photo with a wide smile as the boys pulled out of their headlocks.  Takeru peeked over her shoulder at the very...erm...interesting picture of he and Daisuke looking like they were going to rip each others' heads off.  The blonde senior gently pried the camera away from her. 

            "My turn!"  Daisuke swooped in and took the camera from him.

            "Nope.  My turn.  Go pose."  The blonde sighed and dragged Hikari over to the scenic school scene where they stood looking somewhat between lost and bored.  Daisuke let the camera lop in his hand.

            "Ah come on.  Do something cute."  He thought abut what he was saying...and shrugged.  Sisters have this effect on you.  "Put your arms around her."  

Hikari blushed.

"Dai..."

            "HUMOR ME!"  They gave a defeated sigh, Takeru uncomfortably placing his arm in a loose hold around her.  Again, the camera lowered from his eye.  He sighed, she leaned back onto him more while he very slightly moved.  Daisuke beckoned them to sit on the bench.

            "Try this."  He happily arranged their arms around each other and gave an oddly pleased, somewhat evil, smile.

            "Say cheese."  They gave pathetic smiles.

            "Cheese..."  He would have yelled at them again had they suddenly perked up to avoid just that, their faces looking almost natural.  He moved to take the photo when he suddenly realized that the film had run out.  

            "Hold on a sec..."

            "UGH!"  They both moaned, Takeru dropping his arms that were draped around her shoulders while Dai fidgeted with the camera.  

            "This could take a while..."  The blonde grunted and leaned back, sighing heavily as he let her lean back onto him with an equally heavy sigh.  

Daisuke saw his chance.

            "SAY CHEESE!!!!"  
            "WHA?!"  

::snap::

            "Well what do you know!  There was one picture left!"  He gave a cheeky smile.  Takeru twitched angrily; Hikari clenched her fist.  

Dai sweatdropped.

            Their eyes flashed open, burning with fire.

            "WE'RE GOING TO KILL YOU!!!"    
  


The next few pictures were pretty much shoes and sidewalk in motion...

            Well, the rest of the day was fairly uneventful, at least for Hikari and Takeru.  Aside from the accident in the chemistry lab involving sodium peroxide and carbon-based organisms it was over all easy-going.  The two seniors sat on the bench at the front of the school finishing up the last bits of their Calculus homework when Daisuke dragged himself out of the front doors, looking extremely displeased.

            "Hey Daisuke...Dai, what's wrong?"  Hikari asked, setting her worksheets on the table.  He plopped down next to her, pulling out a slip of yellow paper.  Scrawled on it was an feminine handwriting.

Kita Itogazaii - 295-5832

            Takeru took a peek over at the writing (cursive with hearts) and submitted a confused smile.

            "Geez, Dai.  Never thought you'd be upset to get a girl's phone number..."  

Daisuke gave a very heavy sigh.  

            "It's not a _normal_ phone number...it's for...a...a..."  His eyes welled up in fat, salty tears, "study buddy..."  

            Takeru and Hikari gave him an odd look before cracking a pair of wide smiles.

            "Daisuke, I'm surprised at you.  If you needed help you could have just asked one of us!"  

            "Mr. Tanako thinks that I need the help of someone who won't jabber with me all night...more of a business relationship than a friendship."  He sniffled dramatically.  The blonde teenager shook his head.

            "Dai, it couldn't possibly be that bad."  

            At those seven words the crocodile tears he'd been sobbing with ceased; he craned his head over to Takeru with wide eyes.

            "Not that bad?  Not that bad?!"  He sprang to his feet and motioned them to rise as well.  "Come on, I'll show you what's 'Not that bad'!"  

            The three had ran across the entire school campus until Daisuke finally remembered where she'd said she would be.  They arrived at the school gymnasium, went through the left doors to the school pool.  Daisuke, with trembling fingers, pointed to a tall, slender brunette on the diving board with deep, sienna colored hair.  Her sharp, fox-like eyes glistened in their emerald color as she, in a dark blue swimsuit, dived from the high board.

            "That..."  Daisuke whispered in a certain tone of fright, "is my study buddy."  

            Hikari looked somewhat confused, but Takeru gave the girl a lingering stare.  Suddenly, it clicked, and he smiled again.

            "Is that Kita Itogazaii?"

            "The same one."  trembled Daisuke.  Hikari still looked rightly confused.  Takeru laughed. 

            "I remember her!  She was that one girl you had a crush on Freshman year!"  Hikari broke into a broad grin.

            "So THAT'S what this is all about?  You're afraid because your hiding from your feelings of true love!  That's so romantic!"

            Turning in similar color to his hair, Daisuke fervently shook his head.

            "That's NOT why!"  

Hikari laid a hand on his shoulder with a motherly touch.

"Daisuke, just tell her how you feel and I'm sure-"

            "I did do that!  In ninth grade!"  Puzzlement replaced that sparkly look in her chestnut orbs.

            "Oh...what did she say?"  Daisuke winced slightly before continuing.

            "She didn't SAY anything."    
            "Then what happened?"  

            "I know exactly what happened."  Takeru said, trying to mask the up and coming laughter that was quickly rising.  Of course he was failing miserably.  "He went home from the hospital that afternoon with two black eyes and a fractured shin."  

            Hikari looked at the pool, where the girl had rising out of the water and was climbing the diving board without noticing them, back at Daisuke, who was trembling, to Takeru, who's face had turned a slight purple color from trying not to laugh at the memory, and repeated the motion.

            "Oh."

            "I'm afraid..."  Daisuke whimpered, watching her climb from the depths of the pool to the start of the high dive again.  "What if she tries to punch me?  Or kick me?  Or head-butt me?"  
            "Don't sweat it, Daisuke."  Takeru finally released a short laugh and sighed.  "I'm sure she's forgotten all about it.  Hey!  Kita!"  

            She glanced up from her dive to the opposite end of the pool and smiled, waving before plunging into the water in a graceful triple somersault dive.  She surfaced and swam towards them, resting her arms on the pool side.

            "Takeru?  Takeru Takaishi?" 

            "Yeah, that's me.  Kita Itogazaii, it's been a long time."  Her long, dark hair was loosely braided behind her back; she pulled herself out and rung out the rich brown plait with a smile.

            "I haven't talked to you since we entered high school!  And here we are in the last nine days!  How have you been?"

            "Very well.  Oh, this is Hikari Yagami.  She's in a different homeroom class."  

"Oh yeah...you were voted most popular weren't you?  I remember!  My brother has the biggest crush on you..."  Kita laughed fondly at the memory.  Hikari smiled modestly.

"Heh..."  

The swimmer's laughter stopped as she noticed the shivering figure behind Hikari; a person who shall not be named but did wear sunglasses in his maroon hair, was tall and on the basketball team, whose name starts with a D and ends in an E but doesn't necessarily have to be named Daisuke, much less Daisuke Motomiya...

"Daisuke?  Is that you?"  He peeked out from behind Hikari with a petty wave and nervous laughter.

"Hi...Kita..."  
            "It is you!  Your my study buddy, aren't you?  Well, I'm sure we can come to some arrangement.  How about we meet at my house  Thursday afternoon?  I bet we could get a lot of work done."  She stretched leisurely in her navy Speedo swimsuit; while a normal guy would notice her slim physique and excellent body condition, Daisuke noticed her amazing upper-body strength and the muscles exhibited in her arms…

"Er...that sounds…"  He searched for the right word, "interesting…"

"Awesome!  I have to keep on practicing now.  Its been really great talking to you all.  Bye!"  She waved and walked off to the high dive.  Daisuke wasted no time in getting as far away as possible.

            "Let's go before she decides to demonstrate karate..."

Hikari developed the pictures later the next afternoon; hanging them to dry, she saw the one that Daisuke had taken of her and Takeru before they caught him and beat him to a pulp on the way to school the day before.  He had held his arm all the way until lunch where he moaned and groaned about the casualties he suffered from until they finally threatened him with off-colored beets and runny mashed potatoes.  

            The boys were sitting in two chairs in the room; Dai had returned to muttering something about his last wishes, and Takeru leaned back, nearly asleep.

            ::ring:: ::ring::

            "Not me.  My cell-phone plays Beethoven's Fifth Symphony."  Hikari stated without looking up from her work.

            "Mine is on vibration."  Daisuke mumbled with a sigh, rubbing his arm gently.

  
            ::ring::

            "Moshi-moshi, this is Takeru..."  Daisuke saw his face suddenly pale out.

            "Oh...er...hi...Catherine..."  Hikari ripped one of the pictures.  Dai gave a love-sick sigh at the mention of her name.

            "No...well actually....reservations?"  The girl growled silently under her breath, roughly hanging the pictures to dry.

            "Eh...but...they can...I'll...sure, but...er...ano...al...alright...if you have reservations... Yeah....sure....sayonara..."  He clicked the phone off and gave a heavy sigh.

            "Catherine wants us to come to dinner..."  The brunette girl turned around after she finished hanging the pictures and crossed her arms with a smirk.

            "Let me guess...I wasn't invited?"  He shook his head.

            "She probably just forgot.  You're going to come too, right?"

            "::sigh:: Catherine..."

            "I'm not going to go if I wasn't invited."  She turned around again and started roughly to label the pictures with a black marker.

            "Come on, Hikari...don't be like that..."  

            "::sigh:: she's so...beautiful..."

            "Even if I wanted to go, I couldn't; Tai's coming home and we're all going out to dinner."  He gave a soft sigh.

            "I guess then...I'll see you later..."  He stood stiffly.

            "Sure."  She involuntarily snapped, ripping a file folder from its holding place.  

            "Dai, coming?"  He seemed to float up and out of his chair, waving whimsically to Hikari before floating right out the door.  Takeru sweatdropped again. 

            "Ja."

            "Bye."  

            The boys walked slowly down the hall, Daisuke having finally gotten over his love-sickness and stared at Takeru worriedly.

            "She seems...upset."

            "Gee, whatever gave you that idea..."  Dai gave him a 'there's no need to be sarcastic' look.

            "I've seen it with my older sister Jun before.  You've never had to deal with it because you don't have any sisters but...she would act really off and aloof and break stuff more than usual.  You know, slam doors and not let me in the bathroom...no wait, she did that already.  And then she would-"

            "Dai..."

            "Yeah, er....anyway, it wouldn't seem important except Hikari is acting the same way."  The elevator door opened and the boys stepped inside.

            "What does that have to do with anything?"  For once in the time that Takeru had known him, Daisuke Motomiya looked genuinely serious.

            "Jun started acting like that when Matt started dating Mimi."  

            "So...wait, are you telling me that-"

            "Yup.  Me thinks Hikari is jealous."  

::ding:: 

            Takeru and Daisuke stepped out of the elevator and headed for Takeru's place across the center court yard.  

            "Why would she be jealous?"  Daisuke sighed.  Takeru could be so naive at times.  Nothing a good whack on the head would cure, though.

            "Think!  Chic gallivanting on her territory."

            "I'm not her territory.  I could start dating any time I wanted."

            "But you never do, do you?"

            "....no..."

            "She's come to adjust to this schedule.  She's been used to having you all to herself."  
            "What about you?"  Dai sighed and leaned on the wall while the blonde opened the door.

            "I'm not the shoulder-to-cry-on type."  Takeru gave him a wryly glance.

            "Yeah, a real love um and leave um, aren't you Dai."  Daisuke shrugged modestly while they walked inside.

            "Hi Mrs. Takaishi!"

            "She's not home."  Takeru muttered and headed straight for his room.  Daisuke followed.  "Is your mom ever home?"

            "All the time...when I'm not here.  Work is really hard on her."  
            "Oh..."  

            Takeru fell on his bed while Daisuke resided in the bean bag chair.

            "So, are we going to take the bus to the restaurant or what?"  Dai asked casually.

            "Catherine is coming to pick us up."

            "When?"  Takeru casually checked his watch.

            "In about...five minutes."  The maroon-haired teenager flew out of his bean-bag chair like the speed of light.

            "WHAT?!  I HAVE TO GET READY!  WHAT SHOULD I WEAR!!!"  Takeru gave a sigh.

            "How about...a black and blue tee-shirt that says 'Sakka Datesha' on the front and black shorts."

            "Perfect!  Now where can I get it?"    
            "Look in the mirror."  Too busy to think he rushed to the mirror to see, surprise, a black and blue tee-shirt that said 'Sakka Datesha' on the front and black shorts.  

            "Very funny."  

            Hikari finished in the dark room, slamming the door behind her and any other door worth slamming.  She looked out the window at the center courtyard.  A red convertible rental car pulled up, top down, and honked.  She would recognize that curly blonde hair anywhere.  She watched as Takeru and Daisuke walked out of the building next to hers.  They had changed into something more formal.  She saw as Takeru sat in the front seat with Catherine while Daisuke sat in the back.  She watched as she leaned over and whispered something in his ear that made Takeru turn his head.  She snorted, disgusted, and spun away from the window.

            Daisuke and Takeru had been upstairs still when Catherine honked from outside.  They rushed downstairs to greet her.

Actually, Daisuke rushed downstairs to greet her and Takeru had to run to catch up.

            Of course, Dai was a little too star-struck to mumble any objection when she beckoned him to sit in the back seat.  Takeru uncomfortably sat in the front.  Catherine smiled and leaned over.

            "Hey Takeru."  She whispered.  "Your friend is looking at you."  Instantly he turned his head up towards the building, where he caught the brief sight of Hikari as she left the window.  He gave a defeated sigh.  

            "Don't feel bad, Takeru.  Hikari is suffering from what we French call 'l'envie', what the Americans call 'The Green-eyed Monster' and what I believe you call a case of good old fashioned okayaki."

He sighed.

            "All the good information in the world won't tell me what's wrong with her.  What does she have to be jealous about?"  Catherine turned out onto the main road.

            "I don't mean to brag but..."  She gestured over her body.  Daisuke nearly passed out.  "If I were Hikari, I would be jealous too."  

Daisuke finally came around and was talking fairly good sense.

            "Think of it this way.  Imagine if those one guys...The Poi Brothers, I think...came to town looking mighty fine.  Wouldn't you get jealous?"  
  


            Takeru really had to think about it.  Would he have gotten jealous?  He could see if he'd been constantly talking about Catherine; she wasn't bad looking in the least but...

            "This is too confusing...I don't really want to talk about it."  Takeru mumbled finally, leaning back into the leather seats.  The blonde girl beside him shrugged.

            "You should sort out your problems for yourself."  She sighed stiffly but stared ahead.  "I want to apologize.  I should not have caused such a fuss in that Smoothie Shop the other night.  I wanted to see the reaction of your friend.  I had no right to do so, thought it was my kind of fun."  

"Forget about it."  

She smiled.  He smiled.  Dai had a smitten look plastered to his face.

            "So, where are we going to dinner?"

            "Only the best French restaurant in all of Tokyo..."

            "The Paris Chateau.  Doesn't it sound heavenly?"  Mrs. Yagami gave a girlish sigh.  Hikari nodded indifferently.

            "Yeah mom, sounds great."

            "Oh Taichi, you'll really like this place!  They have those little pancake thingies you like so much...creeps...crates..."

            "Crepes, okaa-san.  Crepes."  

            "Right!  Oh, this evening will be positively perfect!  The girls in my book club will be so jealous!"  Taichi and Hikari sweatdropped as their mother skipped into her room to get ready.  Tai brushed through his hair.

            "Wow, Tai.  Your hair...it's short."  Her nii-san pushed his hand through his fresh-cropped hair.

            "Yup.  Feels weird too; not heavy anymore."  He suddenly gave a pathetic sniff.  "The coach...made me cut it because...it was slowing me down...and he said I couldn't play if I didn't..."  Taichi burst into tears.  Hikari could have sworn she heard violins in the background as she patted his back.

            "There, there..."  She sweatdropped.  

            "Welcome to the Paris Chateau.  Your name, madam?"  

            "Alexandre.  Party of three."  She smiled casually as the waiter, entranced by her classic foreign beauty, rushed to receive them.  Another waiter walked up to them with a refined sort of smile.

            "Right this way, madammoise and monsieurs."  The garçon was an esoteric yet _very good-looking Japanese boy of about nineteen or so; he led them to the elegant table near the chandelier.  He pulled out Catherine's chair for her.  Daisuke wondered if he did that to everyone._

            "I will give you time to prepare.  Your chef tonight will be Jacques; I believe you know him, Mademoiselle?"  He nodded and went off on his way.

            Takeru cocked his head one way.

            "Who is Jacques?"

            "My uncle, Jacques.  He is the chef here."  The garcon returned to greet them.

            "Good evening, madammoises et monsieurs.  I am your host, Monsieur Yuy.  Here are the menus for all.  Order anything you wish; it is on the house, courtesy of Kai Francois and Jacques."  Takeru and Daisuke gapped.  Catherine smiled.

            "Merci, Monsieur Yuy.  For an entree, we will have the _Soufflé au Fromage and...how is Chef Jacques's __Carppacio de Beouf?  Bien, no?"_

            "Very nice as usual, Mademoiselle."

            "Oui...then the _Carppacio de Beouf.  We will need a few more moments to decide for the main course."_

            "Yes, miss.  I will be back with your entrees shortly."  The dark-haired garcon rushed off.  Daisuke was still speechless.  Takeru nodded approvingly.

            "Nice..."

            "Welcome to The Paris Chateau.  Your name, madam?"

            "Yagami.  Party of five.  You know, like the American TV show?"  The garcon smiled uneasily.  Riona Yagami gave a bright, hyper grin.  Hikari, Taichi, Sora and Nobusuke sweatdropped.

            "Ah, Madam Yagami...right this way, please?" 

            The Yagami family and Taichi's long time girlfriend Sora Takenouchi made their way to the elegant table setting near the kitchen, Riona giggling like a school girl when Nobusuke pulled out her chair for her.  Taichi pulled out Sora's chair and she blushed; Hikari pulled her own seat from the table before the garçon had the slightest chance and huffed irritably before plastering a nice smile over her face.

"Good evening, mademoiselles et monsieurs (Riona Yagami splurged into a fit of giggles).  I am your garçon, Monsieur Yuy.  Your chef tonight will be Jacques, the finest chef of French food in all of Japan.  I will be with you shortly to receive your drinks."  

             "This restaurant is beautiful, Mrs. Yagami."  Sora complimented, taking Taichi's hand gently and smiling at him though she talked to his mother.  Tai was busy though, sniveling still over his hair.  Nobusuke complained slightly about the prices, but was very pleased with his eldest son and didn't mind.  Hikari gave a rather frustrated sigh and, with a seeming fit of (unnoticed) difficultly, pushed her napkin onto her lap. 

            It really was a beautiful restaurant though.  There was a sparkling crystal chandelier overhead, people were laughing joyously from all corners of the room, and the brilliant music flowed from the farthest corner near a dance floor, where several couples swung casually to the rhythm.  Hikari sighed.

            *I wonder what Takeru is…NO!  I will NOT waste this evening on him!  Hmm…what a lovely rose on the table.*  But upon noticing the rose was the same shade of yellow as Takeru's hair, she snatched it by the petals and ripped it up onto pieces.  The other inhabitants of the table stared.

            "Er…Hikari-chan…"  Nobusuke asked from his seat beside the still giggling Riona, "Are you feeling alright?"  Sora also appeared concerned, though Tai was _still_ crying over his hair.  She gave a cheeky smile.

            "Fine.  Why do you ask?"  She tossed the shredded flower behind her, likely into someone's soup.  Sora and Nobusuke sweatdropped.

            "No reason dear…"  

            There was no more speech from either table concerning Hikari's condition or Catherine's order selection until after both the appetizers, dinner and desert, when someone had a brilliant idea to dance.  The band had just started up a saucy Latin beat, which was odd as the restaurant was French, but the song was fair enough and Catherine, wanting to work off the three grams of fat she gained, was ready to swing.

            "Come on Takeru, let's dance."  Takeru, who had been glancing around the room observing the beautiful craftsmanship of the area, shrugged casually.  Of course, neither worried about Dai, as he had yet to finish his third Bon Bon Basket.  For really, the only thing Daisuke found more interesting than Catherine was food.  The two of them stepped up and headed towards the dance floor.

            On the second table, much of the same was happening.  Taichi was very interested in the éclairs so graciously offered in the center of the table, but Sora knew very well how to handle her man, and in an instant had him up and was towing him to the dance floor.  Nobusuke, who was very good natured at the moment from the discount he'd acquired for having a party of six and ordering over 8,000 yen (think that's about $80 dollars in American money.  French food is expensive you know), asked his wife to dance.

"Riona, would you like to-"  

But Mrs. Yagami couldn't hear a word he said, for she was no longer giggling over the pure excitement of the night, but for the extra glass of champagne she'd drank just ten minutes before.  Even her laughter was starting to sound more like 'he-he-he-he ::hiccup:: he-he' rather than its double repetitive rhythm. 

Nobusuke sighed and turned towards his daughter instead.

"Hikari?  Would you like to dance with your old man?"  Hikari hadn't really been listening either.  She was busy trying to not think of Takeru by thinking of all the weight she would lose the next day instead.  Absent-mindedly she nodded, and stood while her father took her arm with a laugh and led her to the dance floor, leaving the giggling mother behind.

            Dancing was great fun for them all; it was five songs later, the floor was starting to get very crowded, and while the seventeen-year-old brunette smiled weakly as her father spun her around, she crashed into a familiar face.

            "Takeru?"  Takeru blinked widely.

            "Hikari?"

            "Hikari!" asked Catherine, equally surprised.

            "Catherine?"  Asked Hikari, her face turning an interesting shade of pink.  Nobusuke blinked.

            "Takeru?"

            "Mr. Yagami?"

Bump!

            Taichi and Sora blinked.

            "Takeru?"  Said Sora.

            "Catherine?" said Taichi.

            "Taichi?"  asked Catherine.

            "Catherine?!"  Sora exclaimed shortly, more to Tai than anyone else.

            "Taichi!"  Takeru exclaimed, "Your hair!  You cut it!"  Tai's eyes welled up in tears.  Sora was too busy to care.

            "Who's Catherine?!" she demanded.  But Tai had already gone off into a sobbing fit.  

Hikari watched sourly, turning towards her father only to realize he'd disappeared.  But she soon caught sight of him, kissing Catherine's manicured hand.

            "What a sweet young lady!"  Catherine was blushing and laughing.

            "Why thank you!"  The brunette scowled in her father's general direction, and it was then that she caught eyes with Takeru.  He was staring intently at her.

            "Hikari…"  She frowned deeper and spun on her heel, stomping away.  Takeru took off after her.

            "Hikari, wait."  The people in the restaurant were starting to stare, but she couldn't care less.  She marched right back to the table, grabbing her purse, not bothering with her ever-giggling mother as she did.  Takeru gently latched his fingers around her wrist.

            "Hikari-"  But speech was impossible after that, because she'd shoved a particularly large éclair into his mouth.  By now, most of the restaurant was staring.

            "I-don't-want-to-talk-about it!"  She enunciated on each word before she cried 'CHECK' and stomped out of the restaurant, leaving one very befuddled Takeru with a mouth full of chocolate pastry, and one-hundred very perplexed people with open mouths of soup.  

            The blonde teenager plopped down in his chair, leaning his arm on the table and his head on his hand, mulling over her words while slowly chewing the éclair still jammed in his mouth.  The people who had stopped to stare continued with their dinners, Nobusuke, Catherine, Taichi and Sora continued dancing, and he was quite sure that Daisuke was still eating, as there was a rather large pile of plates ascending in that general direction.  But Takeru was silent for a very long time, and very confused indeed, and when he swallowed the last bit of dessert, turned towards the other individual at the table.

"Mrs. Yagami-"  
"he-he-he-he ::hiccup:: he-he-he…"

And for the innumerable time that week, Takeru sweatdropped.

            Hikari didn't talk to Takeru the next day.

            The three of them, Kari, TK and Dai spent the day apart, as Daisuke was really too afraid to spend the day with one or the other, for he was now quite sure that Takeru was just as mad at Hikari as she was at him.  It happens, he decided, when your best friends get jealous of one another, but Dai decided not to think about it too much, as he was busy writing his will, and completing his life-long dreams (remember, he still had to see Kita after athletic curriculum).

And when the end of the day arrived…

            Miraculously, Hikari and Takeru were both waiting for Daisuke to walk him to Kita's house out in the quad that afternoon.  And while this was nearly to good to be true, they were sitting on opposite sides of the sidewalk.  They walked on either side of him while he mourned, having finished telling them his will and being nearly two blocks from the girl's house already.  Finally Dai stopped crying, thinking he would rather spend his last moments in happiness with his best friends, so he brought up a topic that even Tai would have known to stay away from: the Senior Prom (dun-dun-dun!)

            *Ah, time to repair a broken friendship.*  Dai thought, and cleared his throat, to no reaction from either of them.

            "So…I was thinking…you know how we always go to the Proms together, as a big stag group?  Well…I was thinking…this girl asked me and…she's really hot and…well maybe you two should just go together."

There was a sudden screech of tennis shoes against pavement.  But only for a second, before they all walked 'together' again.

            "Well I'm not sure about me, but Takeru (she spit his name out like old gum) will probably ask Catherine."  Dai winced, and the sun rose over his foggy horizon that maybe the dance wasn't such a great topic to bring up.  Takeru suddenly exploded.

            "God, I can't believe you're still not over that!"  Hikari stopped dead in her tracks, wheeling to face him.

            "Over what?  The fact that you're betraying *our* friendship?"  She pointed to Daisuke, who dodged her extended finger.

            "All we did was dance.  That's it.  We weren't caught making out in a shady corner, for god's sake!  It was a friendly dance between _friends.  Do you even understand that concept anymore?  __Friend?  As in __friends who don't get jealous of other friends?"_

            Daisuke snuck off to a safer corner, namely ten yards away.

            "Jealous?!  You're calling me jealous?!"

            "No, I'm calling you peaches."

            "Call yourself a friend?  I thought friends didn't accuse other friends of anything!  Shows how much you trust me, Takeru Takaishi!"  The wave of heated discussion slipped into pure, concentrated anger.  Hikari's fist's clenched.

            "But you know what?  I'm going to make a truce with you."  Daisuke was so surprised he up and shouted, "WHAT?!"   But Takeru didn't flinch at all.

            "Fine."  But they didn't hold out their hands.  Dai watched with brilliantly wide eyes.  Hikari stepped up (Takeru had to bend a bit) until they were eye to eye, noses just barely touching, still glaring, until there seemed to be a simultaneous exchange and they turned away.  The air reeked with tension.

            "I'm leaving now.  Bye."  And she turned on her heel, turned the corner, and was out of the sight.  The silence was immense, and by the way Takeru was staring at the corner, Daisuke decided, it looked as though he wanted to open the heavens and blast it into oblivion by lightning.

            "Are you going to go get her?"  Dai asked, feeling his bravery surge back and actually daring to approach his scary comrade.  Takeru didn't say much.  In fact, he didn't say anything.  He turned in the opposite direction with a wave of his hand, disappearing down the opposite corner.  The maroon-haired teen watched.  He hadn't noticed he'd been standing in front of Kita's house the whole time.  It took quite a bit of will power to put the entire incident behind him and knock on the door, deciding to concentrate on staying alive long enough to fix the problem he went and instigated.

End of Part II

I'm SO SORRY!  But this part was getting too long, and I wouldn't have been able to fit it all in one format so…it looks like there's gonna be a part three. BUT, I swear that it'll be out fairly soon, so long as you all review, and that it'll be the last chapter.  Scouts honor!  So…I hope you liked this part…::grins sheepishly at the death glares and quietly scoots away…:: Sorry for the cliffhanger…it'll be a happy ending, I can guarantee that!  If you've got tips, put them in the reviews…byee?  ::runs away, quickly, from all the crazed torches::


	3. Part III

The Senior Year III

            Hikari Yagami never thought home could have arrived quicker.  The intensity of which she slammed the door crashed like nails on chalkboards; her steps rung like thunder to the Hitomitsu's on the floor beneath.  However, while Mrs. Hitomitsu beat her broom on the ceiling, the rhythm created quickly drowned, slipping beneath the pounding heartbeat in her head.  Hikari's eyes stung red and her legs shook violently; slightly dizzy, the room was beginning to swim but the temperamental pride of a Yagami heirloom kept her going.  

            Blind with rage she flew side-to-side from the room, not positive where her room was in the moment of discontent.  The sound of falling pieces brought her crashing back to earth.  Kari spun madly, dropping to her knees, the broom still banging beneath the floor as she examined the damage.  The old glass chess-set had entirely crashed onto the tile floor undamaged mostly, except the white knight, who'd shattered into three delicate pieces.  

            The holder of light held the fragmented pieces in her shuddering hands, allowing herself to smile, letting just a few tears to fall now quite sure they were for the chess piece and not Takeru.  It had been an old activity of hers and Taichi, aside from soccer, to examine the chess set.  Not play, no, because neither knew nor cared to learn despite Koushiro's best efforts, but just to look and poke the characters like shiny actions figures.  She herself had favored the Queen, being a regal looking piece and the only female besides.  Tai, however, was loyal to the valiant white knight, standing bravely on enemy lines to defend his palace.  Broken now, but she could still trace its little brave eyes despite its fragmented condition.

It was really their secret, though she might have mentioned it to Sora or someone a while back.

            Taichi, having heard the crash, poked his head out of his old room, eyes fresh with tears from his daily mourning session.

            "Hikari-chan, are you okay?"  He asked dubiously, having never actually seen his sister sobbing over a little broken toy horse.  Kari sniffled slightly, her fingers clenched loosely as she pushed her arms up to show him the minuscule broken knight.

            "I dropped the chess set."  She spoke softly, "The knight is broken, see?  He was always your favorite, wasn't he?"  Taichi blinked, before his little blink became a little scowl and he puffed up like a popover.

            "Of course not!  I was always the White _King_, the most regal.  The best.  The leader."  He enunciated on the word 'leader', his nose forming a ninety-degree angle with the ceiling, "You were the White Queen…Sora was the Black Queen and Yamato was the  Black Bishop."  It was Kari's turn to blink.

            "But…I thought…the knight…"

            "The knight?  Nah…I was the King. I used to wear that paper crown and towel. You were the Queen…Yamato was Bishop and…Takeru was knight!  Remember?  He was the white knight-"

            The little figure crashed to the floor again as Hikari let out a scream to shake the dead and stomped into her room, shrilling a mouthful of words Tai had no idea she even knew, let alone how to use.  Her bedroom door slammed closed.  There was a slightly muffled scream from inside, crashes of glasses, ripping doors open and the loud, reckless shuffling of hangers.  Again, Hitomitsu below banged her broom against her ceiling.  

Taichi blinked.  And shrugged.  And moseyed on into the kitchen, unworried.  It wouldn't have been the first time it'd happened.

            Daisuke examined the little holes in the ceiling as he talked, his hands clasped over his stomach as he rested, stretched in a straight manner over the couch.

            "And then they made a weird truce, and went off, and I came here.  I think…this might have something to do when I was seven, and my parents wouldn't get me that bright blue and orange soccer ball I wanted for Christmas…what do you think?"

            Kita looked up from the little cow picture she'd been drawing on the yellow paper and shrugged.  "I really don't know what to make of it, Daisuke."  She put the notebook on the coffee table.  "But uh…don't you think we should be studying?"

            "Oh yeah…"  Sheepishly, he let his socked feet rest on the floor and Kita moved into the empty cushion beside him.

            "Daisuke?"  
            "Kita."  He asked indifferently, reaching for the textbook that also lay next to the coffee table.  She casually brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear, resting her fingers in her lap.

            "I ah…I wanted to say that…"  
            "Yeah?"  He asked, now preoccupied with finding the correct page in the text.  Her hand swiftly reached over and slapped it shut.  Sharply, her eyes met his own.

            "I wanted to tell you thank you, for not letting that little incident in ninth grade change the way you act around me."

Ninth grade?  
  


            And suddenly, all the memories of green and brown and white and black and blue all came flooding back to him.  He'd honestly forgotten about the entire incident up until that moment.  Suddenly, Daisuke realized how close those strong biceps were to his unprotected midsection.  How her knees faced him.  In one easy swish, she could crush his 'manhood' for all they were worth.  She could head-butt him into the adjacent wall if she just moved her head a little further.

            He cringed mentally at the thought.

            "Daisuke?  Daisuke, you're shaking."  It was true; his hands were experiencing their own personal earthquake.

            "Yes…yes well…thank you…ah…Kita…"  He stammered, and smiled sheepishly.  At her genuine smile, he felt the imperative need to gain distance.  He scooted in the opposite direction until his back met with the ever-trivial couch armrest.  Dai gulped as Kita enclosed the gap, their shoulders barely touching.

            "Are you okay?"  Her voice was rich with concern.

            "Yeah, I'm…I'm ah…I'm ah…good."  Daisuke tried to smile, but all that came up with a little quiver of in his mouth.  She smiled again, pursing her uncolored lips.

            "Then…"  Kita drew little circles on his knee.  "Do you want to make out?"

Daisuke fell off the couch.

            "Kita!"  Shocked as he gasped.  She gently placed herself on the floor, crawling on all fours as he backed away.

            "Daisuke you have no idea what I'm going through!"  Poor Dai felt himself desperately running out of space.  "Ever since Tanako-Sensei told me that he wanted me to help you with studying for the final I've been unable to think of anything else but you!"  

"But that was just yesterday!"  He squeaked in protest.  As expected, Daisuke backed himself right into a wall.  Kita edged up on him.

"Oh but it's so much more than that!  Every time I passed you in the hall, on the stairway, or at lunch I felt so guilty.  All I want to do is make up every moment of pain or fear or dread of me.  Every minute.  Please…let me show you how sorry I am…"  

"Don't you…"  Kita rested her hands on his shoulder as she closed in, "think this is a bit sudden?"

"It seems like forever…"  Her breath was hot on his cheek.  And then by some resonance on Dai's part, he managed to squirm from her grasp.  Kita's small hands pushed against the wall.  Daisuke, especially flustered after that encounter, stammered as he tried to remember where the door was.  Kita stared at him with her small, doe eyes, sparkling from emerald to jade.

"Please reconsider."  She whimpered.  Daisuke tried to ignore the plea, but after three years of terror, his teenage hormones started to kick in again.  And seeing her, all alone and small on the floor…well, he was a free, unrestrained love-um-and-leave-um kind of guy.  And one just doesn't say no to those kinds of opportunities!

But alas, he was already clinging to the doorknob, and with a final will of strength…

"IhavetogoKitabye!"  And quickly shut the door.

Then opened the door and practically tackled her before the journey to the couch.  And, somewhere between an hour to an hour and a half of savage kisses, Dai looked up, particularly unhinged and asked,

            "Are we tallying this?"

            The answering machine blinked.  Takeru looked up in a tired sort of way, considered, then moved languorously towards it and pushed the 'play' button.  A French accent filled his ears.

            "Hello?  Takeru, this is Catherine.  I wanted to wish you goodbye before I leave tonight; my flight takes off at nine, if you'd like to come.  Bring Daisuke along, if you wish.  Thank you for being so hospitable to me on my little vacation here.  Goodbye."

"Thursday, three-thirty-seven, PM." BEEP!

            For a half second, he wondered why he never noticed the answering machine blinking before.  Then checked the clock; it was just about eight five, and the airport was twenty minutes away.

            "I've got nothing to lose."  He thought, almost bitterly, grabbed his jacket and the keys from the counter.  The door slammed shut thirty seconds after.

            Takeru took advantage of Yamato's not being home and stole the car, stopping in front of the apartment complex that brought up thoughts he chose to ignore.  The Itogazaii household was obvious; in the windows facing the street were rows and rows of swimming trophies.

Knock.

            Daisuke looked up.  Kita tipped her head back, viewing the world from upside-down.

            "I wonder who it could be."  Kita murmured, untangling herself.  One arm had gone through the sleeve of Dai's shirt and wound around his collar, while the other had three of her fingers stuck in his belt loop.  After several seconds they'd separated, and sat on the couch, staring at the door.

            "Hello?" Uttered the voice on the other side.  Kita treaded to the entrance and pulled it open.

            "Oh, konbanwa Takeru!"  Daisuke peeked over her shoulder.

            "Oh, hey.  Lemme get my stuff."  Inside, items had toppled; lamps and porcelain bowls, fruit brushed from the table, pictures on the wall hanging crooked, Tanako's textbook half under the sofa, for the most part appearing forgotten.  Takeru blinked, but said nothing.

Daisuke had placed all of his belongings into his backpack and hoisted it over his shoulder, starting out the door.  Kita leaned, an odd expression on her face, upon the doorframe as maroon-haired Dai stepped outside.  He touched over quietly, leaned down and kissed the corner of her mouth.  

"Goodnight, Kita."  In return, she mouthed him just below the ear.

"Goodnight, Daisuke."

Again, Takeru blinked but said nothing.  

Together, the boys walked off to the car, which parked on the side of the empty street.

            "What was that?"  Takeru asked with a monotone expression.  Daisuke closed his mouth in thought, and lifted his dark eyes to the night sky.

            "I…don't know."

            "You ought to know."  His voice, Daisuke noted, was slow and choked.  He thought of the half-burnt lights flickering on motel signs at the more desolate areas of town –when compared, the lights and his voice were quite the same.

            After Takeru scantly explained where they were going, there was nothing more to say.  Daisuke took the opportunity to mull over Takeru's words.

            "Thank you for being so hospitable while I was here.  You are true friends."  Catherine kissed one side of Daisuke's face, then the other.  Daisuke smiled and waved his hand.

            "It was great to have you here."

            Takeru was standing back.  He looked distracted, fiddling with his fingers and such.  Catherine moved to give Daisuke a hug.

            "What is wrong with Takeru?"  She whispered.

            "He and Hikari had a fight this afternoon."

            "Somehow…"  She paused, "I feel this is my fault."  
            "It was bound to happen," Daisuke answered truthfully.  Catherine released their embrace when she thought Takeru was suspecting something.  "Friends for ten years and no major squabble, it had to happen some time."

            "I suppose…"  She trailed off then, touching his shoulder as if it were equivalent to 'au revoir!' and another kiss on each cheek.

            "I would like to come back again, someday."  Takeru patiently bent down so she could say goodbye.  Each kiss delivered just below the eye.

            "It was nice seeing you again, Catherine."

            "And yet…"  She raised her head wisely, "You cannot help but wish I had never come."

Takeru cast his gaze guiltily to the side.

            "I am sorry, Takeru, for the grief I have caused you."  She touched his hand gingerly.  "But I will say, my dear friend, that in these situations, it is you who must play the man."  There was a squeeze between their fingers, and she stepped back.

            "Catherine!"  A voice called from behind.  Catherine smiled brilliantly.

            "It is time for my flight.  Au revoir, Takeru!  Until we meet again!"  Takeru gave a slight wave.  Daisuke, however, was beside himself.

            "MICHAEL?!"  He cried.  Michael gave him a solid noogie over his maroon scalp.

            "Dai, old friend.  How have you been?  I didn't know you'd be here to see my dear Catherine off!"  Daisuke gawked.

            "Dear Catherine?!"

            "Oh, didn't I tell you?"  Catherine fled into the Yamato Ishida look-alike's arms.  "Michael and I are engaged.  His father is flying us to Paris, where we will be married."

Somehow, Daisuke could not understand why he had missed the gold band around her fourth finger.

            "All the best…"  Dai stated, the traditional lost half-smile appearing on his face as the two whisked themselves away to the family plane.  As they disappeared, he scratched the back of his head.

            "Never saw that one coming."

            After Takeru drove Daisuke home, he went to sleep.  It was his way of dealing with things; when he was asleep, he did not have to cope with the world's problems.  Therefore, he slept.

And he was all right.

For a while.

But not really.

            Friday was busy.  Jittery and emotional, Odaiba High was excited about the strangely late, but well-worthy prom on Saturday.  Daisuke noticed that Hikari could not have been more jubilant –he noticed her brilliant smiles and laughing voice, and the little bit of pain beneath her eyes.  Takeru, however, was on the moon.  He could not even answer the questions in AP Calculus unlike the usual ease he displayed.  He could not keep up with the rest of the team in Gym, and did not appear during lunch, even under 'the tree'.  Daisuke heard someone had seen him sleeping during English and when class let out the teacher did not bother to wake him.  So he left him alone –Takeru was old enough, and could sort out his own problems.  For the moment, in any case.

Takeru, however, was not entirely sure.

            He trudged into Japanese Literature IV barely before the first bell and took a place in his assigned seat.  He folded his arms, exhausted, and let his forehead rest between them and the desk, breathing deep, warm breath.

            "Oy, Takeru."  They were a group of raucous boys a year or so younger than Takeru, who stood around in IV until second bell, hitting on the older girls.  "Oy, Takeru-sempai."

Takeru felt it unnecessary to respond.  The group gathered around his desk –he could envision their wide, lewd smiles.

            "Takeru-sempai looks as though he had a sleepless night, ne?"  They sniggered.  "He looks as though he's had quite a busy evening, what?" Another one piped.  They snorted louder.

            "Takeru-sempai," For a respectful address there was no actual respect, "we saw you leaving Hikari's apartment building last night, very late.  _Very late."  Takeru lifted his head then, perhaps curious to hear.  _

The fact was indeed true –after he had dropped Daisuke off in his apartment building, Takeru had decided to crash in his father's apartment, which was in the same complex as Hikari.  The idea was that, as Ms. Takaishi was a very perceptive woman and could have easily dragged Takeru into a long chat about his emotions towards Hikari, which he did not want to discuss; he would stay there one night and leave in the morning, after his Mother had left for work.  The only reason Mr. Ishida had decided to live there in particular was to be 'close to Takeru as he hadn't been when he was younger' without 'unintentionally trying to rekindle a broken marriage' by living in the same apartment complex (though Takeru had a hunch either of his parents wouldn't have minded the other living next door).  Perhaps, if it had been other people or another time, he might have found the situation funny.  Hilarious, even.  But this was no laughing matter.

"Takeru-sempai…"  They were daring each other to say it, "How was she?"

Takeru smiled a deadly sort of smile that silenced them completely.  And murmured, with a strange, frightening voice,

            "You're touching my hat."  The boys sprang back as if he had condemned them.  He stood, his lean body amounting to its six foot five glory, and leaned on the desk, denying his first instinct to defend Hikari, and the second to play along with their little game until she arrived for class.

            "Perhaps," he chose instead, and spoke in a slow, authoritive voice, "the children should get back to class, ne?"  

The boys shifted uneasily before giving a courteous bow.

            "Yes, gomen, gomen…of…of course, Takeru-sempai."  They shuffled off then, not daring to complain in his presence.  Hikari moved in on their way out –she paused, just for a second, to observe Takeru.  He seemed taller, taller than yesterday even, and strangely graceful, with his slender physique.  He was not, at first glance, muscular.  He never had been really, though his abs developed well after five years of every after school athletic curriculum the Gym teacher could talk him into.  He was too quick and agile, however, to be well-built; often, he struck her as much too gentle –though he was not one to push around physically, by any means at all.

He is no angel, she strictly reminded herself.

            Though Hikari divulged to herself, almost willingly, that he did look very angelic just then, with the sun coming in from the window, illuminating his brilliant golden hair.

            "Hikari-chan?"  She realized she had stopped completely, though only for two seconds.  So she smiled convincingly, and put her hand over her eyes for show.

            "The sun is very bright today, isn't it?"

            There was a shuffle beside him, and Takeru noticed that Hikari had taken the same seat beside him as always.  She folded her fingers easily across her desk, and pushed her hair over her shoulder, curtly ignoring him.  He objected to himself that she had always been like that –always trying to prove exclusively to him that his presence meant nothing to her.

            "Konnichiwa, Hikari."  He murmured indifferently.

            "Konnichiwa, Takeru."  Her voice icily spoke.  It had disrupted their daily routine; Takeru would say 'Kora, Hikari.' and she would respond 'hey, hey, T.K.!' she would lean over, one hand gripping the edge of her desk and the other hiding her mouth in a cute expression, 'did you see Isamu-sensei's tie?  Hamsters, like Patamon.'

So class began, and ended.

It would figure, Hikari thought sourly, that it would be their turn to clean up the classroom.

Somehow, they managed to achieve a full twenty minutes of getting around an empty classroom using only coarsely urbane conversation.

            "Would you please clear the chalkboard?"  
            "Yes.  Would you sweep out the door, please?"  
            "Certainly."  
  


            The last two jobs required they stand together, however –Hikari to straighten out Isamu-sensei's desk, and Takeru to clean it off.  Their hands both knocked Isamu-sensei's I'm Number One! cup and it clattered into large pieces on the ground.  Their eyes met uneasily.

            "Gomen."

            "Gomen."  No one moved.

Hikari gave a frustrated sigh and bent to lift the broken porcelain.  Takeru bent down after her.

            "Hikari."

She ignored him though, and continued to clean.

            "Hikari."

The brunette finished quickly, stood and moved towards the trashcan.

            "Hikari, are you really so proud that you will not listen?"  She jerked to a freezing halt, and slowly turned, glaring darkly.

            "Say it then." Deep inhale.

Takeru moved forward first but stood significantly away, breathing, but not really knowing where to start.  Her patience dwindled.

            "It's no good."  He said abruptly, and looked down to the floor, "I mean…"

Another soft breath.

"It isn't good…for me to be mad at you.  We've always been friends…I…I don't think I could live like this.  I mean…"  He closed his eyes, collecting his thoughts, "I can't imagine living, not being near you, not being your friend.  It's been so long...we were friends at the very beginning…we should be friends at the very end, too."  

He looked up.  To his surprise, she had not walked out, but rather stood looking flushed and examining her shoes.  There was a long bout of silence.  And slowly, Takeru started to worry that he'd said something wrong.  But she suddenly spoke,

            "I don't believe you."  She growled softly.  "I don't believe…don't think that…you can just…just…"  Hikari shot up angrily, "I play a lot of soccer you know!"

Takeru blinked.

            "And…the next time you make me mad…I'm going to…I'm going to kick your butt!"  She jumped forward, forgetting the broken porcelain in her hands, and banged her fist against his chest, aggravated at her own weakness.  He didn't flinch as she hit him over and over, each fist making her eyes redder and redder –finally, she fell into the rough fabric of his shirt.  She was silent for another long moment.  

"I hate it when you say things like that Takeru…" Her muffled voice whimpered, "they always make me cry."

Her shoulders shuddered.

            Reluctantly, Takeru draped an arm over her gently trembling frame.  In the streaming light, he remembered how frail she was.  The first years he'd known her he remembered she was always sick, always fragile.  He wondered whether she was still fragile, if not outside, then inside.

            "Are you going to the dance with Catherine?"  Hikari murmured.

            "No."

            "Are you going to the dance with me?"

Takeru paused for a moment.

            "Do you want me to?"  
            "No."  He smiled softly.

            "Okay."

            "You were supposed to argue, you dimwit."  She wiped her eyes and looked up, a faint resemblance of her familiar smile on her face.  It was then that Takeru noticed her hands were bleeding.  He forced her fingers open.  Broken porcelain from the cup, its sharp edges had induced a series of small cuts along her fingers and palm.  He dragged her to Isamu's desk and instructed her to sit on it, then opened the first drawer where Isamu kept most of his junk, including the bandages.

            After finding the bandages, Takeru left the other junk he'd pulled out before on the desk while he finished tending Hikari's injured hands.

            "They weren't very deep…I'm pretty sure they'll be gone by morning."  He stopped guiltily.  Couldn't he have waited to talk until _after she'd thrown the porcelain away?  Hikari seemed to read his mind._

            "It's my fault.  I was careless."  Something clicked, but either of them neglected to notice.

            "It's a shame we didn't use these sooner."  He motioned to the pair of gloves under the pile of rubbish.

            "Mmhmm."  She smiled.  Takeru looked guilty again.  Delicately, Hikari touched the sides of his face.

            "I'll be fine."  She smiled jokingly, "Next time I'll use protection."  They laughed softly.

            "Ahem."  Takeru and Hikari jumped.  Isamu stood off near the door, giving them a strange leer.

            "Are you done in here?"  They flushed awkwardly, throwing their hands behind their back and stumbling to bow.

            "Yes, Isamu-sensei."  The two students excused themselves from their teacher's presence.  Isamu seated himself at his desk and frowned at the pile of possessions he'd collected from students during the year.  Mostly condoms, strewn among various other things.

            Hikari and Takeru couldn't have…

            He pulled out the bottom drawer.

And smiled.

            No one had discovered the stash of chocolate rice balls!  Isamu sensei smiled and unwrapped a sweet.  Chocolate.  Mm.

            Takeru and Hikari walked home together in comfortable silence, either of them stopping at the crossroads home.

            "I'll see you tomorrow at the dance, Kari."

            "Right.  Save me a dance okay?  Ja ne!"

Hikari started home.  But she could no sooner take three steps when T.K. enveloped her in his arms from behind.  She froze, flushing slightly.  Then smiled softly.

            "Is this okay?"  He asked after a moment, never loosening the slightest.

            "I told you…you can hug me whenever you like, Takeru."  If anything, his grasp tightened.  Silence, then…

            "_I love you."  Came his discreet whisper, then he let go.  Hikari was too paralyzed to move.  And by the time she turned around, he was already diminishing into his apartment building.  It felt like a long time before her legs could move again, and she led herself into her apartment complex._

            Hikari dumped the bandages in the trashcan right before the elevator, having realized that the cuts were even less deep than Takeru had suspected, and left only pinkish marks in a few places.

            "I'm home!" She called buoyantly.  Her smile dropped at the corners slightly upon seeing four upset faces.  For once, Taichi was not in tears.

            "Hikari…"  Okaasama started, then frowned.  "Hikari-chan, something has come up."

            Hikari carefully slipped off her shoes and moved to sit on the couch beside Sora.  Her mother and father, Rinoa and Nobusuke, sat across from them.

            "Grandmother Reiko is very sick, Hikari.  She wants us all to go to Yokohama.  Your father and I, in respect for her wishes as this could very well be the last time we see her, have decided we will all go."

Hikari sat motionless.

            "Do you understand sweetheart?"  Riona asked, gently stroking her daughter's hair.  Hikari nodded slowly.

            "Yes…and…no…no the Prom…"

            "I'm sorry."  Hikari stood up, a little stricken and obviously sad, but not physical emotion otherwise.

            "I'll go…pack my things."  Taichi leaned behind Sora, lightly ruffling his baby sister's hair before she trudged off to her room.  The door barely shut.

            "Moshi-moshi?"

            "Takeru?"

Takeru blinked for a moment.

            "Hikari?  Why didn't you just come over-"

            "I can't."  He frowned.  From the tone in her voice she didn't sound very good.  "We're going to Yokohama.  About Grandmother Reiko.  We won't be back for a few days."

            "But the prom-"

            "I'm sorry, Takeru.  I…I have to finish packing.  I'll see you later."

Click.

            Takeru held the dead phone in his hands, then hung up.  Hikari was being dramatic.  Never the less…

            He finished pressing the trousers of his formal wear and hung them neatly from his door.  He decided he would ultimately deal with the whole thing in the morning, pushing the ideas toying in his mind aside.  Just in case, however…

            Takeru reached for the phone book and started to flip through it.  When Hikari Yagami was involved things always started to get complicated.

            "TTAAAAAAAAKKKKKKKKEEEEEERUUUUUUUU!!!"  For a moment, he almost thought it was Sarah Little and the rest of the I Love Takeru club, but this time it was Daisuke who tackled him, one arm wedged around his neck and the other pounding into his hair.  "I'M SO GLAD YOU GUYS AREN'T FIGHTING ANYMORE!"

            Despite the fact that Daisuke was very light for someone who ate so much, he was starting to weigh on Takeru's back.

            "Get off."  Daisuke lowered himself.  Kita came up from behind him, draping herself on the shorter of them like an expensive curtain.

            "Where is Hikari?"  Takeru sighed, and ran a hand though his blonde hair.  When he arrived to pick her up, a neighbor informed him that they left late last night.  Lots of bags, she said, like they would be staying for a week or so.

            "She's not here."  He muttered finally, and sighed again.  Daisuke and Kita gave him a questioning face.

            "Will she miss the Prom tonight?"  Dai inquired persistently, holding Kita's leg so she wouldn't fall backwards.

            "Maybe she went to the salon for some all day pampering."

            Takeru shook his head.

            "She's in Yokohama.  I don't think she'll come tonight."

            "WHAT?!"

            "But you guys are going to be voted Prom King and Queen-"

            "And if the queen isn't there they have to take the alternate-"

            "And the alternate this year is-"

            "Sarah Little.  I know."  Daisuke gave his best friend a piteous glance.  

            "Don't worry.  I think it'll turn out alright.  I may have to go out on a limb though, so I need you on standby."

            "You can count on us!"  Kita cheered.  Daisuke gave an exuberant thumbs up.  Takeru smiled. 

            "Thank you."

            Hikari was depressed, but since she was sitting in the home of her ill grandmother, everyone presumed that was the reason.  Taichi sat by her, brushing his hand over his hair.

            "Yo."  Hikari looked over and smiled.

            "Yo."  Her brother leaned back into the arm of her chair, resting his hands behind his head.

            "I'd say there'd be other dances, but you're all grown up now."  His fingers ruffled through her hair gently, "I remember my Senior Prom.  You put that pink barrette in my hair and I didn't notice."  He smiled slightly, and she laughed.

            "Anyway."  He slid down into hair chair; they were slightly squished, but it was alright.  Tai slung an arm around her shoulder.

            "I miss those days."

            "Yeah, me too.  I guess I'm not the only one who's grown up, huh?"

            "Guess not."  Hikari sniffled and leaned over, giving Tai a nice hug.  
            "Thanks, Nii-chan."

            The doctor stepped out of the Grandmother Reiko's room and coughed to achieve everyone's attention.  Riona and Nobusuke rushed over.

            "Doctor, how is she?"

            "Please, will she be alright?"  The doctor's solemn face turned into a smile.

            "Your mother will be fine, Mr. Yagami.  She's just caught a weak cold.  Miso soup, green tea, a box of tissues and a good night sleep is all I can recommend.  She'll be fine tomorrow; she's one tough old bird I'll give you that."

            "Who are you calling OLD?!"  A tissue box flew out and beaned Doctor Nishidake right in the head.  He rubbed the back of his skull and smiled apologetically.

            "I'll just be on my way."

            The family rushed into the room where Grandmother Reiko was a tiny bundle nestled into a great big bed.  Her tiny eyes stared at them as they entered in a quick but processional fashion.

            "Well Nobusuke I hope you're satisfied.  I told you it was nothing to be worried about."

            "I should have honored your wishes, mother."  He placed a target on his head and Grandmother Reiko whapped him securely on the head with an oversized fan.

            "I feel better already~!"  Her mood shifted suddenly and she stared down every one of them.

            "Now all of you get out of here.  Except Hikari.  I want to talk to you."  Hikari approached her little grandmother and knelt beside her whilst the rest of the family drained from the room.  She smoothed her gray skirt gently and approached.

            "Yes Reiko-Obaasan?"

            "Come closer my child."  Hikari, feeling a bit odd, scooted into the older woman.

(OLDER!  OLDER!  NOT OLD!  -dodging tissue boxes-)

            "You have such pretty hair."  Reiko stroked her hair gently, then politely requested that Hikari scoot away.  Personal space invasion made her nervous, she said.

            "What time is it, Hikari?"  The brunette looked at her watch.  "Eight o' clock."

Her grandmother smiled sympathetically.

            "I apologize for your father making you come all the way out here for nothing.  I suppose I ought to be more careful about getting sick.  But listen, I've got an idea."  Her eyebrows raised.  The last time Grandmother Reiko had an 'idea' was the astounding plot to cut Taichi's hair several (thousand) years ago and we all know what happened with that.

            "You look like a sentimental girl.  You brought your dress with you didn't you?"

Hikari blushed and nodded.

            "I thought so.  I was a girl too.  Once.  A long time ago.  Ah…those were the days~!  I remember back in 1953.  Keitaro Suzuki…I remember his face so well…"

            "Uh…Reiko-obaasan…"

            "Oh yes well.  What time does this dance of yours start?"

"Nine."

"Well then you don't have much time!"  
  


Her seventeen-year-old heart started to race, but she tried not to get her hopes up.

"Time for what, Obaasan?"

"To get ready of course!  Cinderella must attend the ball tonight, whether I have to take you myself."

Hikari squealed but quickly repressed herself.

            "Reiko-obaasan I couldn't ask you to do this-"

            "No, I figured you couldn't.  Consider this my dying wish."

            "But…but…"

            "Well I don't think I'll think of anything else to ask you within the next fifty years."  
  


She squealed again and hugged her grandmother.

            "Arigatou!  Arigatou gozai masu Reiko-obaasan!"  Hikari, with a few more profuse thanks ran into the living room.

            "Sora!  Sora you have to help me get ready!"  The carrot haired girl bounced up, understanding immediately.  Sora, too, gave a very exuberant cheer and the two of them ran into the spare room.  Riona followed after a moment.

            Taichi gave his father a glance.  Nobusuke stared on for a bit.  From the spare room, long and short tones of squeaks and squeals emitted into perfect hearing.  Things like 'oh!  Oh it's absolutely wonderful!' 'No, It's supposed to go like this.' 'Oh, yes, that's much better.' 'Ha-ha, I haven't done this in forever.'

            His father sighed and lifted the newspaper before his face, as if it were a force field of some kind.  Taichi sweatdropped.

            Takeru adjusted his tie and looked in the mirror.  The outfit had been Yamato's idea entirely –it was a change, a big change, but he it was rapidly growing on him.  Mimi couldn't have chosen a more appropriate time to be back in town; his older brother was in a better mood lately, and even allowed him to borrow his car.  For half-price, of course.

            His basketball player physique stretched long in the navy blue.  He skidded out of his room just as his mother was coming through the door.  Her arms were full of papers and she gave him two glances before dropping them carelessly on the floor.

            "Is it tonight?"  Takeru smiled softly and nodded.  "Oh honey…"

            She moved over the papers, staring at him with her wide, misty blue eyes as she rested her fingers over his lightly tanned face and smiled.

            "I hadn't remembered tonight was your Prom Night Takeru.  It just seems like you never got that far.  I almost thought…"  And she laughed then, gently, reluctantly dropping her hold on him.  "I almost thought you were still in grade school.  I see you every morning while you're sleeping. You always look like such a child."  She laughed harder, a little sweeter, but Takeru only smiled sadly, because he could see the tears running from his mother's eyes.

            "Ha ha,"  He carefully wiped her tears, "please don't cry."

(Ha Ha is a formal term for 'Mother)

            Naruko Takaishi rubbed her eyes while she giggled slowly. 

            "I'm sorry, Takeru, I don't know what's gotten into me.  This is one of those days I've been unconsciously preparing myself for…and when it gets here, I still cry."  She smiled again, and touched his cheek.

            "There's something I want to give you.  I think it's the right time." 

            Takeru followed his mother deep into the darkness of her room, momentarily forgetting about his plan as he watched his mother burrow into her jewelry chest.  The room itself was only kept because he cleaned it on the weekends when she wasn't home, but he never touched the jewelry case.  It was a little dusty, coated in fingerprints, but she pulled from its depths a long, old box.

            "Do you remember, when your father and I split up, Takeru?"  He swallowed slightly, and nodded.

            "It must have been the week after.  We were going for ice cream, and you pointed at this little necklace in the jewelry store.  You were really little, Takeru.  Do you remember?"  
  


            Feeling incapable of words, he simply shook his head.

            "Well…it was the prettiest little necklace.  And you never had much of a take for jewelry before, but you wouldn't leave the thing alone.  It was expensive, but…I bought it anyway.  You asked me to keep it for you.  Until the right time, you said.  It was strange.  But now…"  She closed her eyes and lifted her head to the ceiling as if asking for guidance from some higher power.  His mother, who had never been one for religion or things like this, looked as if to ask a question to the wind and expected an answer.

            "Yes…now, now is the time you told me about when you were little.  You were a strange little boy, Takeru."  She gave him the box, stood on her tip-toes and kissed his cheek.

            "You better go on now, or you'll be late.  I might just talk you into morning-"

The words slipped as Takeru pulled his strong arms around her. It was warm and comforting –it reminded Naruko of her ex-husband, and the way his embrace was like breathing in and out of chocolate, and made her want to dance.

            "Thank you, Mom."  He stepped back, and, with a wave, grabbed his keys and was out the door.

            "Timing Takeru!  Always remember the timing!"  Naruko Takaishi shouted as he closed the door behind him.  She didn't feel much like working after that; she reached for the phone and started to dial Kenji Ishida's number.  Coffee and old times might be nice—  he almost might have forgotten that both his son's had grown up.

            "Kita-chan."  Kita Itogazaii looked over at her boyfriend Daisuke with questioning appeal.  They both wore maroon, he wearing a formal button down shirt with black suspenders and black pants, she in a matching bodice cut dress that ended at the knees.

            "Kita-chan, do you think everything will be okay?"  She smiled and affectionately patted his head.

            "Yes."

            Strange, she thought, that everything for them would come in place so quickly.  Rumors were spreading already –Kita Itogazaii and Daisuke Motomiya were fast lovers, didn't you see?  But she didn't care.  She wanted it to last for as long as possible.  The two of them sat outside of the La La Port Ski Slope, the dance not really heating up yet and everyone preferring rather to talk than dance at all.  It was cold –almost April now, school would be out in a few days.

            "Do you think everything will be okay with us?"  He inquired, looking at her from the side.  Kita was taken aback by the question.  Did he want to break up so soon?  Her breath caught in her throat.

            "Do you mean that…"  She paused, searching for words, "That we should…"

  
Daisuke smiled.

            "No!  I just wanted to make sure that you're happy."  He touched her hand.  "It seems like…I dunno…like I loved you for a long time.  I guess."  He scratched his nose with another boyish grin.  "I'm not very good at saying this stuff."

            Kita leaned her head on his shoulder and smiled happily.

            "It's alright.  I understand.  I think that we should give this a try."  She said softly, and sighed.  Daisuke blushed furiously, but couldn't wipe the grin from his face.

            "So…do you really think it'll all work out for Takeru and Hikari?"  Takeru had called an hour or so earlier while they were inside, just after he left his house.

            "What do you think, Daisuke?"

            "I hope he doesn't run out of gas…there's only one gas station between Yokohama and Tokyo.  But I think that…it'll be fine."

            "Well then."  She smiled wider and scooted closer into his side.  "You're really cute, you know?"

            "Yeah.  I know."

            Taichi's eyes fell out of his head.

            The dress wasn't intricately patterned, but the design lay within the cut.  All white, like a wedding dress, but contained an element about it that became her rather than anything else.  A sleeveless square-neck half top underneath with a sheer chiffon top over, with loose puff sleeves and long white gloves.  Chiffon wings puffed along the low back –it gathered gently at the waist before flowing out, long in the back but shorter in the front, displaying (but not flaunting) her delicate legs.  The straps of her white shoes climbed up her calves and tied at the knee –a bit to high but a welcome change.  It was perfect.  Beyond perfect.  It was like a divine messenger delivered it straight to her fingertips.  And this, all coming from Taichi, was very remarkable indeed.

            "Do you like it?"  She inquired shyly and stepped into the light.  Nobusuke couldn't speak –neither could Taichi.

            Grandmother Reiko hobbled out of her room with a thick blanket over her head.

            "Oh!"  She looked at Hikari once, twice, her vision circling all around the room before falling on her again.   

            "I'd say that I'd died but your father is still here!  Like a wonderful spirit…tell me, where has Buddha taken my granddaughter?"  Kari couldn't say much –she just smiled and turned pinkish and such.

            "Hikari!"  Sora cried.  "We've got to go!  It's already nine thirty!"

            "But…my make-up…"

            "You're already so beautiful sweetheart."  Nobusuke supplied, finding his voice somewhere buried under the sofa, "You don't need to hide it."

            Kari smiled and hugged her father, and then hugged Taichi.

            "Thank you."  She turned to her grandmother, mother and Sora.  "Let's go."

            "Alright!"  Reiko cheered, though a cough came out.  Nobusuke instantly panicked.

            "Mother you…you can't go out!  You're sick-"

            "Quiet sonny boy!"  She whapped him with her fan again, "I've had enough out of you.  You boys watch the house!"

            The four women followed each other towards Grandmother Reiko's car.  Taichi coughed and sat back down.

            "I know they'll make it there, but how are they going to make it back?"

            The cars swerved and honked past as three terrified woman and a little old lady

(SORRY!  SORRY!  -dodging more tissue boxes-) drove towards the center of Tokyo.

            "Uh…Reiko-sama…"  Sora started, who was sitting in the front seat and wincing at each car they nearly hit, "Are you sure you don't want me to drive?"

            "Nonsense!  We're half way there!"  Something suddenly caught her eye.  Grandmother Reiko stopped mid-traffic (luckily there wasn't much) and veered into a gas station.  Everyone was just a little surprised.

            She jumped out of the car and started to wail, "It's him!  It's him!"

            "Who?!"  Riona yelled and pulled herself out of the window.  An old man hobbled out of the store.  Reiko was nearly in tears.

            "It's him!  It's…KEITARO SUZUKI!"  The old man looked up.

            "Huh?  Oh my…I remember that voice…is that…is that…MOTHER?!"

            "No!  Keitaro!  It's me!  Your high school sweetheart!  Reiko!"  
            "High school…"  He squinted.  "Yes!  It is you!  Mother!"  
            "No…Reiko!  REIKO!"

            "Keiko?"  
            "REIKO!"

            "Um, Grandmother Reiko…I thinks it's adorable that you've found your high school sweetheart but Hikari still has to get to the dance and…"  Riona's coaxing was in vain.

            "REIKO!  REIKO!  REIKO FUJIYAMA!"

            "Cake?  Ooh!  I love cake!"  
            "NO!  NO!"  

            "We can't just leave her here…can we?"  Sora asked.  Hikari shook her head.  The two girls sweatdropped.

            "At this rate I'll never get there."  She emerged from the car and looked around.  Suburbia.

            "H…H…HIKARI?!"  Kari swiveled around and you'd never believe…

  
Takeru.

            "TAKERU!"  She fell into his arms.  Takeru was stunned.  He'd gotten lost and had to call information, who then told him of the –only– gas station in his area.  It was odd the way fate worked, and VERY coincidental.  Or maybe not fate but Hikari herself…

            He regained his senses and hugged her back, tightly.

            "Did you arrange this meeting in a dream?"  He whispered gently.  Hikari buried her face into his shoulder and sighed.

            "It seems that way, doesn't it."  He pulled back and smiled softly.

            "Come on.  We're going to be late."  Hikari turned to see –Sora stood and smiled.

            "I'll tell them!"  She called and waved, wiping her eyes.  "Be good!  Have a ball!"

            Takeru helped Hikari into the car and they drove towards the Ski Slope in a comfortable silence.

            Daisuke had been making his fifth round outside by the time Takeru and Hikari pulled up to the entrance.  By now the traffic had died down.  It was eleven o' clock, and the Prom would be over at one.

            Daisuke, with his hands in his pocket, approached Yamato's wonderful car, gave Takeru a high five and kissed Hikari on the cheek.

            "Guess."  He stated bluntly.  Hikari looked at the stars, closing her eyes and smiled.

            "Rika and Tom."  Either of the boys gave her a look.

            "Just a funny feeling."  
            "You and your funny feelings."  They groaned together, and laughed.  Daisuke swung his arms over their shoulders with a cherub face.

            "Well, you guys have fun.  I'm off."

            "Dai?  Leaving already?  There's two hours left and we just got here…"

            "Kita and I are going around the corner to the Holiday Inn to be the rush."  Takeru and Hikari exchanged a serious glance, but before they could say anything, Daisuke finished, "They've got this American restaurant in there…Denny's…and it's open twenty-four seven.  Dancing and waiting around to make sure you got here is tasking.  I'll see you later.  Tomorrow maybe, if I'm not whacked."  He dropped behind them and headed for his car.

            Takeru and Hikari smiled and waved, watching their best friend drive away.

            "Ready to go inside?"  Kari offered, pulling his hand slightly towards the entrance.  T.K. gave a dubious glance towards the Prom then shook his head slowly.

            "Not quite."  He looked over towards a dim opening in a gate.

            "After all it took to get here."  Hikari sighed, but smiled and followed him through the small entrance.  It was behind the barrier of the dance itself.  Snowdrift was on, but it wasn't really cold at all, and Takeru's presence was warming so the crystals simply felt like little pieces of air resting on her shoulder.

            They found a quiet bench and sat down, allowing to entwine themselves in a gentle embrace.

            "It's been so busy this whole time, hasn't it?"  She asked, nestling further into his chest.  Takeru nodded against her hair.  

"It's almost…like a dream."

            "Isn't it?"  She breathed.  He pulled away slightly to look into her eyes.

            "Isn't it."  He touched her cheek gently, leaned down…

            Hikari squealed and shook her head.

            "I…I can't…!"  Takeru froze in his spot.  A large sweatdrop made its way down the back of his head.

            "Kari-chan…you know it's…"  His sweatdrop grew, "it's not like we've never kissed before."

            "But it never meant as much."  She whispered and looked away, embarrassed.

            "Alright Mina!"  The voice of the DJ leaked into their ears, "It's time for another slow song, so let's welcome our singer, your entertainment, American pop sensation, from our own native Tokyo, Mimi Tachikawa!"  The students cheered.  Hikari tipped her head back with an excited smile.

            "Takeru, we can't miss Mimi!"  Takeru nodded and smiled.

            "Won't you join the dance?"

            The jazz song was sweet to take up, and Mimi's rich voice filled the air while couples started to congregate on the dance floor.

            "In the moonlight," She sang with a slow smile, her eyes closed, "When the shadows play.  And the thought of what could happen takes your breath away…"

            Takeru carefully took Hikari into his arms and they swayed lightly, a little slower than the song but remarkably on beat still, seeming to meld together very comfortably.

            "Sighs and whispers, quiet laughter in the air…unspoken invitations everywhere.

"In the moonlight,

All the words you say

Make it relatively easy to be swept away…"

            "In the half-light…can we trust the way we feel?  Can we be sure that anything is real?"  Takeru murmured along with the words.  Yamato often sang the song around the house –likely, it was he and Mimi's special song.  He smiled, and he could feel Kari smile too, and the rise in her cheeks.

"Stars keep secrets as they wonder discretely…while the echoes of a song go drifting by.  We must be careful not to lose our way completely…Or the magic that we see here, we can't be sure will be here…"  Mimi turned in her long, flowing dress, among the snow and the dimmed lights.

            "In the morning…with the moon away…and if in each other's arms is where we've meant to stay.  In the love light…when our eyes have grown accustom to the daylight, we'll see what waits for us to share…"

            "For all the things we've dreamed of in the moonlight, will be there."  They spun gently as the song picked up a little, and the band entered an instrumental break.  Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves –it was wonderful.  Mimi's soprano tone started up again,

            "Stars keep secrets as they're wondering discretely…while the echoes of a song go drifting by."  
            "We must be careful not to lose our way completely…or the magic that we see here, we can't be sure will be here."

            "In the morning, with the moon away, and if in each other's arms is were we've meant to stay.  In the love light, when our eyes have grown accustom to the daylight.  We'll see what waits for us to share.  For all the things we've dreamed of in the moonlight will be…"

            "There…"  Takeru rested his forehead onto Kari's sighed contently.  She smiled back.  Truly…truly this was something like perfection.

            "In the moonlight…"  The song ended and the port erupted with applause.  Mimi giggled and curtsied, waved, and stepped off of the platform.

            "Kari!  T.K.!"  She cried and rushed over, enveloping the two in a slew of hugs.

            "I was wondering when I was going to see you!"  Mimi brushed a long cascade of light brown hair over her shoulder.

            "I've got to go get ready for the next song.  You look wonderful, you two!  Byee~!"  She scuttled away before either of them could say anything.

            Hikari smiled sheepishly.

            "That's Mimi for you."  They grinned and started to draw away, their hands interlinked.

            "All this night…Takeru…"  Hikari started, not really sure how to put it lightly but making a valiant attempt, "You haven't said anything about how I looked."

            He pulled her hand back towards him, holding her close around the waist so that her lips were very close to his own.

            "I wanted to say…that you were beautiful…but it wouldn't have done any justice to the way you look tonight."  Her eyelids dropped slightly and she stood on her tiptoes, brushing her mouth across his lips so lightly it hardly constituted as a kiss.  So lightly that no one even noticed except them.

            "Let's dance some more, okay?"  Takeru, who was in a state of bliss, could only nod.

The last day of school came, and went.

            Summer vacation didn't seem to last long enough, not with them finalizing their plans for college.  Daisuke received a scholarship for an American soccer team –Kita, who didn't get a scholarship but was wealthy enough, would go to the same school for the female swim team there.  In the end, though because of their good grades they could almost literally attend any school in the world, Takeru chose Tokyo University.

Hikari chose Cambridge, England.

            It was September, the time that schools in England started.  Hikari would take a train and leave out of Hokkaido after a quick visit to some old friends before she left.  It was a train station, and the streets were busy.  Daisuke and Kita made it with just enough time to get to the airport.

            "Hikari."  Daisuke was all choked up.  He kissed her, just lightly on the lips.  "I can't believe it's over I mean…"  He wiped his eyes, flushing from embarrassment.  "Here.  Just take this before I get it all wet.  Man, I'm such a wuss."  He firmly shook Takeru's hand, murmuring a brief speech about being his best friend and still being better than he'll ever be.  They laughed then, after a clap on the back, Dai stood back in effort to hide his emotion.

            "Take care of each other, okay?"  Kita said warmly and hugged them both.  It was very emotional.  The two of them waved and hurried off to catch a taxi.  Hikari put the package down with the rest of her luggage and turned towards Takeru.

            The two of them had spent the summer as boyfriend and girlfriend, for what either of them discretely feared would be the last time.  It's not often that a couple can stay together when a continent separates you.  Takeru stepped forward, gently stroking her cheek.

            "I hope…"  He murmured with a slight smile, "that all the boys in England are as ugly as they are in History books."

            "Everyone is ugly in History books."  She smiled sadly, choked on her tears and jumped into his embrace.  Takeru wrapped his arms around her steadily, and stroked her hair.  They separated.

            "This…is for you."  Said T.K., turning a slight shade of pink.  It was a rather square box wrapped in light green wrapping paper with a large yellow ribbon.  The train boarding call started off.  Takeru shuffled his foot.

            "I guess…I shouldn't keep you…you know…waiting…"  Hikari put his box down and stepped up to him.

            "I'll never forgive you if you don't kiss me now."  She stated firmly.  Takeru smiled.

            It was the first real kiss either had experienced and worth the wait.  Nothing remarkably special –no Hollywood kiss, no rain or smoke or steam, nothing special at all.  Except for the fact that it was the first kiss between soul mates, and nothing, no matter how flashy, could ever be sweeter.

            Kari pulled away with a dazed look.

            "I love you, Takeru.  Please don't forget me.  And e-mail me.  Every night.  Or I'll come down here and write them myself."  She rubbed her eyes, helped the baggage hand get her things aboard and boarded the train.  She vividly recalled how angelic Takeru looked one high school day before.

            And as she looked from the window, he was so beautiful…she could faintly trace the long white wings sprouting from his back.

            Hikari blew a kiss, Takeru blew it back.  The train departed, and she watched him until he was gone.  And then…he was.

            It wasn't until sometime later that Hikari remembered to open the presents Daisuke and Takeru had gotten for her.  One, Daisuke's, was a beautifully made photo album.  The first half was all the pictures she'd taken over the years they'd been together.  The second half was blank, with a simple note that said, "for the future."  It had made her cry.

            In Takeru's box was long streams of newspaper.  Hikari fought to find the bottom, and when she did, she spied a long, silvery box that had to be a couple years old.  She lifted it from its chamber and carefully read the note on the front.

            "Please wait, I'd like to put it on. –Takeru"  it said.  Kari's heart started to pound.  Inside, lying on a blanket of velvet was a gold chain.  Also on the chain was a small gold ring.  There was only a tiny diamond in the middle, obviously added recently, and two angel wings surrounding it made of shining opal.

            Tears slipped from her cheeks –the ring was a perfect fit.  She slipped the chain around her neck.  And smiled through her tears.

…the end…

            .::Artemis is wearing a target on her head::. MINA!  I'M SO SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG!  BUT IT'S DONE!  FINISHED!  FINALLY! YES!  .::smiles sadly::.  Please, feel free to beat me with Grandma Reiko's large fan.  Please, don't expect a sequel.  Again, I'm sorry the ending was so terrible.  Maybe I'll rewrite it.

Someday.

Someday FAR away.

Nothing left to say except…

I CAN'T BELIEVE it's DONE!  YEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS!!!

- Artemis  


End file.
